


I didn't sign up for this

by erimies



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Character Death, Drama, Gen, Humor, I'll go add more characters when they show up, Time Travel, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-24
Updated: 2015-12-05
Packaged: 2018-02-14 12:16:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 28,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2191521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erimies/pseuds/erimies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Time travel, the ultimate hoax to cheat in life and turn bad odds to your advantage. Or, it would be if Naruto had any idea what he was doing. Trying to save lives he holds dear, he somehow ended up as an international S-class criminal with a flee-on-sight order. Oops.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue - That bastard

**Author's Note:**

> I always thought it was weird that in all time travel stories, the person in question was so good at messing with the past, as if they had a perfect calendar in their brain, including events they barely knew of in the future. Hence, this story.

 

......

_Konoha, early evening_

......

 

The village was settling in for the night, shops closing their doors and bars welcoming the first rush of customers. The academy was empty and quiet, the children having long since gone home. The training grounds were still in use, some of them noisy with  _thunks_  of weapons, ninjutsu practise, or Maito Gai.

Shinobi could occasionally be seen hopping over rooftops, on messenger duty if not returning or leaving for a mission. Those with more covert assignments weren't seen at all, of course, but they were also there. Konoha was always and ever bustling, over and under the surface.

Exactly three minutes before ten, the deceptive image of peace and quiet was shattered by a series of loud explosions.

Curiously, this did not arouse alarm so much as groans and various complaints in the general line of "not again!", " _third time_ this week!" and "if I ever get my hands on that bastard, I'll-"

Several members of the Konoha Military Police were running towards the source of the commotion, eyes spinning crimson and weapons at hand. On surface, they seemed determined. Yet, their resigned expressions and the black bags under their eyes told a different story.

In his office, the third Hokage, a man respected everywhere as one of the most powerful shinobi of all time, put down his pipe and smacked his forehead on his desk.

So much for finishing his paperwork for once. He'd probably be sorting this out until early morning and go home to the first trill of birdsong. Sarutobi Hiruzen let out a long-suffering sigh and reached for his hat.

The door to his office was slammed open and a harried looking chuunin slid to a halt, staying upright only by managing to grab the door frame. There were dark circles under his eyes, too, and his hair stuck up in a way that looked less like a natural inclination and more like he had been running his fingers through it periodically. It had been a familiar look around the tower recently.

"Hokage-sama! Someone appears to have set off a series of coordinated fireworks from the Academy rooftop! We're assuming it was that bastard again."

"Just fireworks? Seems oddly...  _uninspired_  from what we've seen of that man."

The chuunin squirmed, scratching at his temple self-consciously. "Well, about that... You may want to look, Hokage-sama, I don't think I can... do it justice."

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow and walked to the window, peering outside. His eyes widened. There were several messages still lit on the darkening sky, persisting through the normally short lifespan of fireworks.

Most of them seemed to ramble on about Ichiraku ramen. Several seemed to attempt some sort of poetry, only to derail into laments about the writer's poor memory. Some were not messages at all, but indistinct squiggles that spiralled into themselves.

Hiruzen sighed, rubbing at the bridge of his nose.

The culprit, known as 'Asura', had kept the entire village running around in circles for weeks and he saw no hope of the situation changing any time soon. If only Hiruzen could go back in time and strangle his teacher for inventing that bloody Shadow Clone technique; the bastard troublemaker had disappeared in smoke each and every time someone had managed to land a hit.

Insult to injury, he apparently had enough chakra to drown Konoha in shadow clones and generally stuck out like a sore thumb, yet he was never found if he didn't want to be. And he  _really_  should have been, in a village famed for its doujutsu and several clans exceptionally well suited for tracking.

That he hadn't been, well, that was frightening.

Hiruzen was old, now, but he had not lived this long by luck. He had forgotten more than most ever learned and kept his village together and running through those days of despair when the buildings still burned in embers beneath rubble and the rotten stench of death and despair were thick enough to choke on. The fourth Hokage may have sacrificed himself to save their village from destruction, but it was the third who patched it up and buried their dead.

More than anything, the third disliked working in the dark. It was true that 'Asura' had yet to hurt anyone and had once even helped them out, accidentally or not, but a ninja village could not  _afford_  to count on the good will of a potential enemy. There was always the possibility he was lulling them all into a false sense of security, even if his methods for it were... less than conventional.

But they had no leads. The man had no profile in any bingo book out there, was  _most certainly_ not a Konoha resident and only ever seemed to use the Shadow Clone technique - which was decidedly Konohan. Nothing to tie him to another village or organisation.

And yet, red hair and incredible chakra. If that village hadn't been destroyed... but it was worth investigating. Perhaps Jiraiya could be roped into looking in this mystery.

Loud, boisterous laughter rang out, clearly audible over the background noise of barked orders and general chatter, cutting his train of thought short. Hiruzen leaped out of the window in a blur of speed, gesturing for his ANBU to follow.

Even from far away, they saw a familiar silhouette on the roof of the academy, going through equally familiar clumsy dance steps. His hair was a stream of crimson that flowed in his wake, glowing like an ember in the waning light. As always, he held a brass shakujo, which he seemingly only ever used for dramatic gestures and posturing.

Seeing the crowd he had gathered, the man struck a pose and  _beamed_.

"Good evening, Konoha! I hope you enjoyed today's show! Now, the reason I have gathered you all here tonight is to introduce you to someone very important!"

He pressed a hand to his heart, face earnest and open. Long red hair somehow managed to billow dramatically in a wind that should have had trouble rustling leaves.

"Until now I have been running the show on my own, but tonight, I have the very great pleasure to introduce you to my brother! You may call him 'Kurama'!"

He beamed harder at the words, throwing his hands wide open. The shakujo chimed gently, glittering in the last rays of light.

Then, his chakra surged and, so quickly it was frightening, cheery, dramatic Asura...  _wasn't_. All of his impossible radiance was gone, replaced by a heavy, irritated gloom, bright blue eyes dull and bored. He yawned, jaw stretching too far, showing too many sharp teeth.

For the first time, he seemed dangerous. This was a person who had killed,  _often_ , every shinobi in the audience realised with that gut instinct that sees underneath the underneath clearer and faster than conscious mind. They tensed, ready to intercept and incapacitate at the slightest threatening motion.

Asura (or possibly  _Kurama_ , now) seemed unruffled and uninterested.

"Keh! I did not expect  _this_  to be his idea of... Well, better than sleeping all the damn time, I suppose," he all but snarled, then stretched his body in odd, jerky motions, as if unused to movement, yanking his shoulders in a circle and letting his neck crack ominously.

With one last slow lurch, Kurama straightened and yawned again. Unlike his previous persona, he did not appear lively at all, eyes half open and very much resembling some dangerous predator that spent most of its time sleeping and ignoring the prey.

"Oi, idiots of Konoha. I'll also be bothering you from now on. Let's,  _keh_ , get along. I like, hm, my father and Asura, I suppose. I hate a lot of things, the Uchiha in particular. My hobbies include insulting Asura and sleeping. In the future I intend to... well. You don't need to know about  _that_."

Hiruzen had never wished he had the means to capture this man more than he did at that moment.

 

......

_Konoha's orphanage, slightly after sunrise (several months earlier)_

......

 

The caretakers of Konoha's orphanage never physically abused little Uzumaki Naruto; they knew better than that. He was fed as well as the others, his clothes were no worse for the wear and no one ever struck him in anger. This did not mean it was a happy life, his misfortune simply took a different and subtler form.

Konoha was first and foremost a military society. Most of the money went into supporting their forces on a good day, not to mention during times of war or recovery. The orphanage was not a cheery place to grow up; resources were thin and there was hardly any time for individual attention for any of children.

None of the overworked caretakers wanted to deal with Naruto, so he was shuffled from one person to another at first, and then ignored entirely, when everyone began to assume someone else was responsible for him and no one thought or cared to ask who.

However, that also meant that when he woke up one morning and spent several minutes hysterically chanting "Kai! Kai!" and stabbing himself with one of the wooden toy kunai, no one realised anything was amiss.

This was just as well, because three years old little Naruto had only moments ago been  _sixteen_  and fighting for the freedom of the entire world, his opponents a giant mutant tree and two mentally unstable Uchiha.

Had someone taken notice and made him see a Yamanaka, the future might have been very different. But that is not what happened, and eventually little Naruto took a deep breath and stared into distance. Then he went back to his bed, sat down in a meditative pose he should not have known, should not have had patience for, and was lost to the world.

 

......

_Naruto's subconscious, flow of time not applicable_

......

 

While Naruto would admit he was not the brightest bulb in the box, that was not the only reason he appeared as dumb as he did. Especially during his early years, thinking too hard or too long would always lead to that painful place where he felt keenly how much he was an unwanted person.

Walking with his head in clouds of dreams larger than he was and muffling the sound of his thoughts with his own loud obnoxious voice was, at times, the only way he could keep himself from drowning in despair. Sometimes, underneath the underneath was a cold and lonely place where thoughts had teeth.

(And whatever you said about cursed legacy, that was probably the real reason Sasuke had lost himself in the darkness while Naruto had not, having never been able to tear away from the blood and fear and hate in his mind.)

Yet, as it always goes in life, Naruto's road also took its toll. Even now, years after the pain of thinking started to ease; Naruto's subconscious remained a sewer. A place for the unwanted, unneeded and forgotten things, flushed away and left to rot.

Somewhere in that sewer, a giant fox reclined behind bars that should no longer have been there. Outwardly, he gave off an aura of calm, unlike the owner of the mind who sat in the ankle-deep water and trembled, eyes large and anxious. Eventually the fox sighed and spoke, swishing his many tails in a decisive manner. His voice sounded like it should have hurt to speak, a heavy, harsh growl with sharp edges.

"...If there was a genjutsu, I would have already dispelled it. If  _I_ was also genjutsu and the real me unable to break through, this would be the Infinite Tsukuyomi. If so, we would dream of that 'perfect world' and think of nothing."

Naruto jerked forward, before he managed to reign in his impulse to  _move_. He was still in that state of mind that exists during battles too large and important to lose and needed a target for the agitated energy. Somewhere out there, people were fighting for their lives and he was  _not there_.

"So,  _what_? What does it  _mean_? What are we going to  _do_?"

"Hm. We cannot return if we cannot even tell how we came to be here. For now at least, we must think this as reality and act on the assumption that we have been stranded in the past. About thirteen or fourteen years ago, based on your physical body."

Naruto's energy seemed to leak out in one slow rush, leaving him empty and tired.

" _Past_? How... how could something like this even  _happen_? And are we... are we alone? There were a  _bunch_  of people there, someone else must have come too, right?"

Kurama snorted, the current strong enough to blow Naruto's fair hair flat against his head.

"Don't ask me. Look, the half face was trying something with his eye; I could feel  _that man_  use chakra somewhere out of sight; the white haired asshole and your father were just about to... teleport, I think; the old monkey did something behind us that involved fire; the idiot Hokage's wood was growing  _everywhere_ ; the Shinju was on a rampage and  _my_  chakra was spread about the battlefield. Any and all of those things could have contributed to this, or none of them. My point being, it was a  _mess_. Not very good for making educated guesses on the mechanisms behind time travel. But I am the only one who could possibly have enough chakra to protect you during such a trip. We are alone."

Naruto groaned, face falling against his knees. He had already stumbled all over the communal bedroom in his earlier panic and likely bruised himself, unused to the new ( _old_ ) dimensions. He didn't even want to think about how frustrating it would be to learn how to move again, never mind actually train his muscles.

"I  _need_ to know what happened. I don't  _remember_. I only have this blurry feeling like we were pushed against a current. And the weird old man with Rinnegan, but that was probably a hallucination since he also had like a weird, red  _third_  eye thing on his forehead and  _horns_. I don't even want to kno-"

" _What_?!" Kurama's voice boomed. He sat up, looking more alert than Naruto had, well, ever seen him. Naruto blinked and reeled backwards on reflex.

"Like I said, it was probably an illusion. I mean, I didn't understand half of what he said. Called himself Hagoromomomo-something. Said stuff about time flow and rainbow running in a circle and that I'm someone called Asura and then I  _think_  he apologised for pruning my face. Didn't seem to make a lot of sense."

Kurama looked like he wanted to plant his face against something. "That  _old man_ , Naruto, was  _my father_. As in, the  _Sage of Six Paths_."

Naruto's jaw dropped. "W-what? So all that stuff about 'Rabbit Goddess' and Byakugan and the 'successors' was..."

Kurama nodded wearily and settled down again. "From what you remember, it seems he thinks you're the reincarnation of his younger son, the so-called 'useless Asura'. He  _was_  a lot like you. He did make all sorts of people follow him and believe that love and cooperation were the answer to peace."

Naruto breathed out, eyes wide, looking a little lost. "I was the  _son_  of the Sage? And the first Hokage too? I - I don't know... " Then, something steeled in his eyes.

"But it doesn't really matter, does it? That guy had the right  _idea_. Itachi tried to do everything on his own and look how  _that_  worked out. I'm not even going to talk about Obito and Madara. Whether or not I am Asura, I've got to finish what he tried to do."

Kurama felt the corner of his mouth turn in a reluctant smile. However, Naruto sighed, deflated and hid his face in his knees.

"Well, that was some short-lived motivation," Kurama drawled, raising an eyebrow.

The truth was, Naruto felt weary - a tiredness that had nothing to do with his body and everything with the war that had seemed to go on and on, no end in sight. But it had still been the  _endgame_. A conclusion that had been stolen from him, by whatever that had stranded him and Kurama in the past like they were the only two survivors escaping a sunken ship.

"It's just... It was almost  _over_. All the villages were fighting together and kinda getting along and, and, I spent my entire life scraping and striving for every little bit of power I could and all of that, all that  _effort_ , it's all  _gone_. And now I have to convince everyone I can find peace,  _all over again_. I don't... Of all my life, I have nothing left!"

There was a heavy silence. Naruto gazed at his feet with unseeing eyes, hands still and spread open in a useless, helpless gesture. Kurama narrowed his eyes and hissed.

"Me. You have  _me_. You may need to train your pathetic body again, you may once more need to fight for the approval of undeserving idiots, you may have to try reason with my siblings, but I am still here! I have always been here! And I'll help you out this time, so stop  _snivelling_!"

Naruto smiled, some of the heavy gloom evaporating. Being a jinchuuriki had always been the heaviest burden in his life, the knowledge that he was never alone in his body and the other occupant was both malicious and powerful.

"Thanks. It's just... I'll admit I'm an idiot, but I'm still  _sixteen_. I did mature a  _little_  bit. How am I supposed to keep in character?"

(A part of that dread he had sometimes known lingered stubbornly, something close to what he'd felt when everything had seemed to go wrong at once, when Sasuke-bastard had done the stupid thing and was about to cause a war if he didn't destroy himself first.)

"...You're three years old. As far as the world is concerned, you don't  _have_  a character. And if you are a little different, well, it's not like anyone pays any attention to you," Kurama said, raising his eyebrow.

And oh,  _shit_ , wasn't that an  _entirely_  wrong thing to say. Naruto's face fell.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he said in a small, defeated voice.

The brat looked like a kicked puppy. Kurama ignored a traitorous twinge of guilt.

Still, it was probably best to try for some... emotional support? The brat  _was_  currently dealing with a major life change, to put it lightly. It was the kind of thing comrades and...  _friends_  did for each other, right?

Only thing was, Kurama might have decided to give up hating indiscriminately but that did not make him a master of navigating emotions. Trying for 'understanding and kind' was probably a lost cause, so he went for 'prickly but offhandedly supportive'.

"Brat, I will only say this once and  _only_ because you annoy me. One word, you'll feel better."

Naruto tilted his head, mildly interested. Kurama leaned in, staring into Naruto's eyes.

" _Neji_."

 


	2. The Hyuuga affair

 

......

_Hyuuga estate, Konoha, very late at night_

......

 

The head ninja of Kumo thought he had every right to be confident in his abilities. His village was aggressively military on the best of days and tended to hoard power before asking what could be done with it, or if it was even worth it. Powerful people were respected and idolised, much like rock stars. In this sort of environment, no one made it to the top without raw ability and hard effort.

And now he had been reduced to trying to kidnap the heir of a clan that was famed for seeing through walls, from the middle of the clan compound. Arrogant he may well be, but he wasn't an idiot. If even one of the creepy white-eyed bastards happened to activate their bloodline limit, he would be in a world of trouble

In fact, he suspected that his own village was not only aware of the odds, but had based the whole gamble on them.

The orders had been verbal. Plausible deniability in case of failure, perfectly sensible (because while Kumo may be willing to gamble on the odds of this rekindling the war, they weren't looking to ignite one on purpose). Nothing odd there.

He thought different. What did it matter if the orders were on paper or not? After all, there was that  _other_  clan in this forsaken dump of a village, the clan that could and would pry his thoughts from his mind and no amount of loyalty could prevent him from spilling.

Unless, there was nothing left to interrogate. If he were to, say, die at the hands of a Hyuuga and no proof was left of his true intent, well.

Konoha was far more battered than Kumo due to that recent incident and could not afford another war. Kumo had leverage, if something were to happen to its ambassadors.

He gritted his teeth. It grated his pride to know he was (possibly) expected to fail and die here, so that his village could take the fight to the political table.

But thinking like that would only make failure more likely. He had to concentrate on survival. After all, he was, quite literally, amongst the enemies.

He spared a glance at the gently wriggling bag on his shoulder and wrinkled his nose in distaste. At least the brat hadn't managed to alert anyone. If he could just get away from the compound and head for the meeting point, there would only be the Uchiha to worry about and  _they_  were busy guarding the rest of his delegation. He'd slipped from them once, he could do it again.

From his temporary hiding place in the shadows, he eyed the dark compound. This was the hardest part, crossing the main training ground. There was no cover at all and the moon shone brightly on the white gravel. Taking a detour was not an option. Stealth would be null the instant someone noticed the little heir was missing, and hiding would only hinder his mobility.

Taking a deep breath, he moved. There were no shouts, no graceful figures in white to apprehend him.

Of course it was too good to last, and things went to hell exactly half a dozen steps from the wall surrounding the compound.

"Hey,  _you're_  not a Hyuuga! What are you doing here?"

The voice was decidedly loud and about as easy to ignore as nails on a blackboard. He cursed inwardly and reacted on long-honed instinct and high-strung nerves, spinning around and falling in a stance. What he saw was not an alert Hyuuga, as he had expected, but a man with long red hair and a baffled expression.

There was an awkward pause as they eyed one another, two intruders who knew precisely nothing about each other.

Then, the red-haired man  _glowed_ with yellow fire and disappeared in a flash. Something hit his temple and darkness swallowed his pain and his consciousness.

 

......

_Just outside the Hyuuga compound, a few minutes earlier_

......

 

 _Pray tell_ , Kurama's unimpressed voice sounded in Naruto's head,  _are you actually expecting to find little toddler Neji playing outside in the middle of the night?_

Naruto rubbed at the back of his neck sheepishly. "Well... Look, I just have to try! The security around the village has been kinda weird tonight, so this is my best chance. Maybe they have windows or something. I just want to see him once."

 _Sure, convenient glass windows in a paranoid ninja clan compound. Likely_ , Kurama drawled and Naruto could swear he felt the sarcasm dribble down and poison the water of the sewer.

He was about to respond with something childish and heated when they both felt it. Suppressed resentment, contempt and something else cut through the calm night air. Naruto and Kurama shared a mental equivalent of an uncomfortable glance.

 _Well, nothing to it_ , Naruto thought and jumped over the wall. He may be technically three years old, but no one hurt the Hyuuga on his watch. They were all important to him by proxy, because Neji and Hinata were his friends. Or, rather, they  _would_  be. And this tense business was going to give him a headache.

Naruto skidded to a stop on the rooftop of the main building when he saw the Bad Guy. And he was obviously just that and deserved capital letters, Naruto didn't think he'd seen anyone that clearly up to no good since Orochimaru and Obito-with-mask.  _Seriously,_ Naruto thought,  _shouldn't he be trying to, dunno, blend in?_

 _Probably useless against the Hyuuga,_  Kurama supplied. Naruto tilted his head and had to agree. Byakugan was handy like that. Still, there were no Hyuuga in sight right now and he couldn't even feel any suppressed anger at the intruder (and he really wished he dared to try sage mode, it would make this so much easier).

He should at least alert them all. Naruto was  _good_  at grabbing attention. He cleared his throat.

"Hey,  _you're_  not a Hyuuga! What are you doing here?"

Instead of running for it, like Naruto had assumed, the Bad Guy reacted with aggression and took a stance.  _Whoops_. So much for not dealing with him personally. Naruto blinked and tilted his head.  _Kurama, if you let me borrow a bit, do you think we can take him?_

He could  _feel_  the answering grin, full of teeth and eager.

Then, once more, there was immense chakra and life. Naruto felt the strain on his too young body immediately, but seconds were all he needed anyway. He grabbed a shovel from the little corner where it looked like someone had been repairing the wall and slammed it against the man's temple.

(Hopefully, it would be a concussion and not a death sentence since he should probably try to talk this guy out of idiocy at some point, too, and he  _really_ didn't want to participate in the whole chain of hatred thing. It would be kinda counter-productive to his goals.)

Letting Kurama's chakra fade, Naruto limped to check the damage he had dealt. He pressed his fingers against the man's neck and was immensely relieved to feel a steady pulse. No accidental murder via inability to gauge his own strength, check.

The little bundle he hadn't really noticed before was wriggling now, and whimpering. Naruto blinked.

The realisation that there was a  _little person_  inside the bag hit him like one of Sakura-chan's punches. Naruto reeled in shock for a moment before he fumbled the bag to get it open, and found –

"Tiny Hinata?"

He blinked, eyes very wide, then realisation settled slowly and he felt like the last person in the room to get the joke. (Though this wasn't funny at all.) Hadn't… Neji said something about a kidnapping attempt or something? By… Kumo? And his dad had died because of that?

Naruto had been back in the past for a week and had already managed to get himself in a mess. He cursed inwardly and flailed in panic ('Nitwitted son of a motherless odd-toed bootlegger' was his choice of words. Sometimes he wondered if he had learned more on his training trip while wandering around the red-light districts than from Jiraiya, for all he loved the man).

"Aaah, this isn't good, Hinata-chan… Where's your mom and dad?"

He pulled at his (currently) red hair and made to leave (where, he wasn't quite sure), when Hinata sobbed. Naruto froze in place like a statue, then sort of deflated. Hinata-chan would be a badass in future, but she was a little kid now. He should try cheer her up, or something.

 

......

 

Hinata didn't know what was happening. She was confused and scared and missed her mother (and her stern father, too). She'd been let out of the sack and the person in front of her didn't seem that scary, so it was a little better than the muffled darkness, but she didn't  _recognise_  him. Hinata knew she was about to cry and was, somewhere inside, already ashamed for the lack of control. Her parents and older cousins never cried.

Then, a lively voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Never fear, my fair lady! I am… uh… I am the fearless, gallant... Asura! I have rescued you from that heinous fiend, and surely your parents will be here soon to retrieve you! No need to cry!"

Hinata startled and looked up, swelling tears forgotten, as the man swirled dramatically, then hopped on one foot, doing a weird, clumsy dance. He grinned at Hinata, then kneeled in front of her.

And his smile was  _blinding_. Open and honest and fierce, she had never seen anyone express so much emotion in her entire life. This man had saved her from the bad man and still did not look at her like she was a disappointment, even if she had been little more than a slab of meat on the other man's shoulder and completely helpless.

Really, it was no surprise at all that Hinata stood no chance and the newly dubbed 'Asura-sama' went on with his monologue (that seemed to involve lots of heroic deeds and giant monsters that were actually friendly), blissfully unaware he had just gained a fan for life. When he offered his hand, Hinata took it without hesitation and was lifted in his arms.

"Hmm, let's see, would you like to… to… ah! Paint!" Asura-sama exclaimed happily and grabbed a can of black paint from the nearby stockpile of supplies. He grinned at her again, but now there was a mischievous edge to it.

"Come on, Hinata-chan, let's paint the wall. It's so boring and white!"

Asura-sama really was dreadfully handsome when his eyes squinted with his smile, Hinata thought. He looked like a kitsune, or a tanuki, a spirit who liked to trick people. But she didn't think he was a bad person. He had _saved_  her.

"Isn't vandalism bad?" Hinata asked. She wasn't about to speak against Asura-sama, but she was also fairly sure her father wouldn't approve. Asura-sama waved his hand.

" _Psh_. We'll blame it all on  _that_  guy," he said and pointed at the hapless would-be kidnapper. "Serves him right anyway." And yes, this was definitely an evil gaze, Hinata concluded. Asura-sama was showing a whole lot of teeth.

A slow smile spread on her face.

 

......

 

Hiashi had been quite sure of what sort of things to expect from the scene, and therefore seeing his only daughter in the arms of a red-haired man and  _vandalising_  one of the compound walls dealt a critical hit to his idea of how the world worked.

Being as he was a shinobi himself, he still managed to recover quickly and took in the rest of the scene. There lay, unconscious on the ground, the head ninja of Kumo. Hiashi felt a tremor of anger. Kumo really hadn't changed at all, it seemed, although there was something extra despicable and Iwa-like in attempting to kidnap a young child during a  _peace conference_.

Attempted only, because he had apparently been intercepted by this unknown person who was now holding Hinata hostage. And painting his walls. (He couldn't quite seem to let go of that, but it wasn't like he found artistically inclined intruders in his back yard every day.)

Hiashi would have gritted his teeth in anger and fear, had he been someone else, but as it was he managed to keep his emotionless mask and signed for his men to approach cautiously and make no sudden movements. There was no telling what this unknown man wanted. Hostage situations rarely ended well and he could only pray he would manage to protect his daughter from any harm.

Speaking of her, she twisted in the man's arms to look behind and… smiled? Hiashi blinked. That wasn't what he'd expected either.

"Father! Asura-sama, father came to get me!"

The five adult Hyuuga felt distinctly out of their depth as the so-called Asura turned around and his face lit up like a bonfire.

"Well, about time! Me and Hinata-chan were running out of room. I - I mean…" he stammered and coughed nervously. "We didn't paint any walls. At all. It was that guy," he continued and pointed the wet and dripping paint brush at the unconscious Kumo nin. At the flat stare of his audience, he noticed the incriminating evidence he was still holding and grinned sheepishly.

Then went to place the paintbrush in the man's hand, not even trying to be inconspicuous.

"See, there's your proof! This had nothing to do with me. And anyway, probably best you go with your dad now, Hinata-chan. He looks kinda worried."

"Okay," Hinata all but chirped. What Hiashi thought he knew of the world took yet another hit as she was put down gently. His daughter toddled to him, looking more happy and confident than he had ever seen her. Numbly, he could only take her and lift her up. Asura grinned, apparently perfectly pleased with the outcome.

"Well then, see you guys at some point! Hinata-chan, remember what I told you?"

"Grow up to be a strong kunoichi so I can defend my family and Konoha and rescue myself on my own if I ever get caught again," she chanted, eyes blazing.

"That's the spirit!" Asura said, grinned disarmingly, saluted and jumped over the wall. His long hair trailed behind him, like a red stream. Hiashi made no move to pursue or stop him; his sense of reality was still recovering. He looked down at his daughter.

Hinata was happily humming against his chest, perfectly healthy and looking no worse for the wear for what had happened. The defiled wall, he noticed belatedly, seemed to be insulting Konoha's odour and praising the might of the noble Kumogakure.

"...Well, that certainly happened," said one of his men.

Silently, Hiashi had to agree with the sentiment.

 

......

_Hokage tower, Konoha, very early in the morning_

......

 

The third Hokage rubbed at his temples. The night had been long and confusing. The situation was thankfully firmly in control, but this only meant that they had been forced to skip straight to the boring and stressful damage control part. The coffee stash in the tower cafeteria had been all but depleted by now and everyone was showing signs of weariness.

Around the table were seated, amongst others, Hyuuga Hiashi, Nara Shikaku, Uchiha Fugaku and Morino Ibiki, in various states of fatigue (Shikaku appeared to be sleeping eyes open). They had long since hashed the available information to ribbons and were now waiting for Inoichi. The third Hokage grimaced at the political nightmare this was going to be. By asking Inoichi to do the interrogation, at least the Raikage wouldn't be able to accuse them of torturing his ambassador.

And then there was that confusing character who had acted in a decisively contradictory manner. The man had infiltrated the Hyuuga compound in the middle of the night, only to blow his cover to save the heiress and  _prank_ the clan. None of the pieces fit together to paint even a slightly coherent picture. With the Kumo situation not falling apart like it could have been, this puzzle chafed at the third's mind.

The door slid open and Inoichi stepped in. There was a mildly confused expression on his face. "He was definitely acting on orders," Inoichi said. "He was supposed to steal little Hinata and escape with her. In private, he thought his superiors expected him to fail and die at the hands of a Hyuuga so that Kumo could take advantage of our tight situation and demand recompense. But this is only speculation."

Out of the corner of his eye, the Hokage could see Hiashi stiffen in outrage (for all the man normally looked like his spine was a steel rod, the long hours had taken their toll on even his posture).

Shikaku yawned and dropped his elbows on the table. "Looks like we have avoided a troublesome situation, then. Not that  _this_  one isn't, mind. What did he remember about that 'Asura'?"

"Not much at all. 'Asura' showed up out of nowhere, only to ask as to what the Kumo nin was doing at the compound since he was not a Hyuuga. Then there was a… well. There was a yellow flash. There really aren't any other words." Inoichi looked slightly embarrassed.

Uncomfortable looks were shared by all.

Shikaku yawned again, drawing tears in the corners of his eyes. "Well, that's that. If there are no leads, it would be best to leave that man to later consideration and deal with Kumo first. I have an idea."

The third raised an eyebrow, feeling hopeful. Shikaku's thoughts were always worth listening to, even if the man usually dealt with combat strategy instead of politics.

Shikaku smirked lazily. "Considering that Kumo has obviously planned this extensively and possibly has more contingency plots ready, we should not play the same game but take a third option. Personally, I would suggest that we take a page out of Asura's book and spread the word that the ambassador of Kumo was caught drunk out of his mind and vandalising Konohan property."

There was a moment of silence, until badly covered snickers could be heard around the room. Even Hiashi was seen suppressing a smirk.

 

......

_The Konoha Military Police headquarters, two hours before sunrise_

......

 

"...The Hokage ordered us to do  _what_?"

Uchiha Fugaku scowled, the lines on his face deepening. "You are to examine these handwriting samples, henge into the form of the head ninja of Kumogakure, act as though inebriated and paint several inflammatory messages deriding Konoha and praising Kumo on visible locations around the Hyuuga compound wall and the Hokage tower."

The Uchiha tradition of stoicism didn't seem to matter to his subordinates at the moment, considering that they all looked distinctly like they were questioning his sanity.

"…You know, Fugaku-sama, there's just something deeply wrong with having the  _police officers_ carry out petty vandalism."

Fugaku shrugged, his annoyance flaring up. It had been a long night and he wanted to return to his wife and sons. "Who else could forge the handwriting?"

Crumbling, the hapless officers divided up the papers, unable to refute the logic.

 

......

_Outside the Hyuuga estate, late morning_

......

 

There was a gaggle of children gathered around the wall of the Hyuuga compound, snickering loudly. Naruto wandered there to see what the hubbab was all about, having given the caretakers a slip (which barely required any effort) and ditched his ANBU guard (considerably harder).

The wall was covered in graffiti. Naruto stared at it for almost half a minute, scratching at his head.

... _I thought for sure it was another wall I vandalised._

Kurama cackled in his mind.  _That's because you_ did _. Someone else seems to have gone painting the town last night._

Naruto frowned, narrowing his eyes.  _And it's_ better  _than my scribbles too! All the trouble I saw to making it and someone's already trying to one-up me!_

Feeling decidedly offended, Naruto left the group of children and meandered away towards his actual destination in the bustling centre of Konoha.

Ichiraku ramen looked like a haven of peace and happiness in the sunlight. Naruto relaxed automatically. He had been at war for what felt like an eternity, had seen blood and entrails and felt people's lives disappear like small candles snuffed out. This place reminded him of the happier days when the fate of the world hadn't yet been on the table.

The happy days he now had in front of him, he firmly reminded himself. Akatsuki wouldn't move in years and Orochimaru was still busy somewhere (no doubt brainwashing people and ruining lives).

 _Better transform, brat. They never treated you badly, but you are still three years old,_ Kurama reminded him and yawned. Naruto deflated a little at the thought. He'd really wanted to see a friendly face. (Kurama counted, but he was a fox and prickly even on a good day.)

Unfortunately, Naruto could feel the suppressed resentment and fear of everyone around him even now. The pressure was constant, and Naruto was torn between wanting to have  _some_  sort of sensing ability because he was so used to being a target, and not having to feel like he was breathing in poison. It was probably for the best that he hadn't been able to use Kurama's power when he had been a real kid.

At least there was one temporary solution. Naruto snuck off to an abandoned building, away from the eyes of the populace. Then, there was a puff of smoke, and 'Asura' wandered the streets of Konoha once more.

 

......

_Main street, Konoha, lunchtime_

......

 

"And how are you going to find that man, brother?" Hizashi asked, elegant eyebrow raised in a mildly mocking manner.

"I do not know, but I must," Hiashi replied firmly. "Like it or not, we owe him a debt. It is unsettling, because he might still be an enemy, but there is also the chance that he is an ally. If I can talk to him, I might find something out."

Hizashi almost rolled his eyes in exasperation. "You can't locate a suspicious character that easily, he's probably not even in the village anymore. He's not just going to stroll across us on the street."

It was that exact moment when Asura strolled across them on the street, then entered Ichiraku ramen with a cheerful air, not paying the slightest attention to the two identical men standing in the middle of the road, stunned as though hit by lightning.

Hiashi recovered first. "...Would you like to take that back, brother?"

Hizashi shook his head slowly, white eyes wide and incredulous. "Unbelievable. What kind of timing was that?"

Hiashi felt a creeping  _déjà vu_ at his brother's baffled face. A traitorous grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Well, in any case, I won't get a better chance," he said and lifted one of the fabric squares to enter the small ramen shop, his brother following behind.

Asura was already eating as if he hadn't seen food in weeks, somehow managing to breathe while all but inhaling the noodles. Hiashi ordered a bowl of miso ramen himself and sat next to the man, wondering how to announce his presence, when Asura took a glance at him and promptly choked on his food. Hiashi hesitated before slamming his palm against the man's back.  _So, he allows the contact_ , he thought when Asura merely twitched a little.

"A-ah, I, ah, sorry, I was just surprised to see you," Asura said, coughing for one last time and rubbing at the back of his head sheepishly.

Hiashi inclined his head, a sort of well-bred version of a shrug. His order was set on the counter and he reached for the bowl. He wasn't one for ramen normally, but the smell was, admittedly, reasonably appetising. "I had been wondering how I would find you. I believe I owe you for last night."

Asura looked uncomfortable. "Well, not really, I mean, I just thought he was suspicious, I didn't know what he was actually doing. Although, I guess I'm suspicious too."

Hiashi nodded, ghostly white eyes narrowing. He couldn't drag this out. His options were limited in such a public place and a Hyuuga eating at a ramen stand would attract attention soon. "Indeed. Still, we examined my daughter's memories and you did not only refrain from trying to influence her in a negative manner, but also somehow talked her into putting more effort into her training. I have to say that I am pleased with her new drive. What was your reason for telling her that?"

Asura shrugged and took up his chopsticks again. "There are people here that I care about, so even if I'm not really a citizen, I won't do anything to harm the village. And besides, it's my natural talent, giving pep-talks. She's just a bit shy and insecure, that's  _nothing_. There was that time ages ago when I beat up this messed up kid who had this weird obsession with blood and then he turned a new leaf and became the leader of his village."

"...I see," Hiashi said, sounding like he didn't see at all but didn't really want to ask for details. Behind his brother, Hizashi leaned across the table to stare at Asura and then Hiashi, his face an almost comical mask of incredulity (to anyone who knew how to read a Hyuuga, anyway).

Asura grinned and pushed his empty ramen bowl away. "Well, I gotta go. And I really don't need you to do any favours for me. Just pay for my ramen, if you want to thank me."

Hiashi nodded. "Very well then. But I  _insist_. As long as it will not harm my clan or the village, I  _will_  owe you a favour."

They ended up making a scene, after all. Asura tried to argue stubbornly, insisting that he hadn't really done much at all and that he  _was_  a suspicious character anyway, but Hiashi stood firm and eventually the red haired man gave up with a huff and stalked off, disappearing around the corner. ("Fine, whatever! You can't  _make_  me call on it.")

Hizashi stared at his brother the entire way back to the compound. "You know," he said the instant they entered the sanctuary of Hiashi's office. "He might turn out to be an enemy. It may not have been wise to promise him anything. And you didn't even try to apprehend him."

Hiashi sat down on the cushion in front of the low table and began writing a report to the Hokage.

"Attempt to arrest a man who may have somehow recreated the Hiraishin? I think not, not in a civilian establishment. Furthermore, as of now he has acted in Konoha's interest. Asura is a confusing character; either a master infiltrator with exceedingly odd methods or an unusual sort of ally. For now, it is much more beneficial to remain cordial and observe. With that discussion, I have forged a tentative bond and now have a social incentive to seek his company."

 

......

_Raikage's office, two days later_

......

 

"...Care to run that by me again?"

The unfortunate chuunin messenger shuffled nervously.

"Konoha sent us a missive, saying that they do not approve of drunken vandalism from foreign ambassadors, but were feeling gracious so the peace treaty was signed off without a hitch. They're also charging us for the D-ranks to clean off the walls. The Hokage sent us a bill."

Slowly, the third Raikage lifted his hand to rub at the bridge of his nose.

"How is it even  _possible_  to mess up the mission that badly?"

Maybe it was time to think about retirement. He was getting too old for this.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Kumo ambassador wasn't aware that the Yamanaka are able to read the memories of dead people as well. To him, if he was dead = no evidence. Though, as canon showed, Kumo still had the upper hand anyway, so I suppose there wasn't enough to be gathered from his memories or Konoha couldn't let it leak that the Yamanaka could do the thing. It was a highly political affair after all.
> 
> The reason Hiashi didn't treat Asura like an outright threat was twofold. He didn't do a single thing that seemed threatening beyond the suspicious sneaking, and Hiashi weighed his chances for successfully incapacitating him pretty low, what with only his brother for support and plenty of people around. So, he thought that, for now, it was best to play the 'game' and treat Asura cordially (within reasonable caution). He did agree to a favour, but with pretty heavy stipulations, and the whole thing was also mostly another attempt to form a tie to him since Asura had proved himself pretty elusive.


	3. Idle hands

**Idle hands**

 

......

_A hidden spot alongside the Naka river, Konoha, midmorning_

......

 

"Being three years old sucks," Naruto complained, throwing a rock across the surface of a little stream branching off the Naka proper. It bounced off the surface five times, neatly crossing the water and landing on the sand in the other side.

The place was fairly private in the shelter of tall hay and other vegetation, and Naruto felt safe enough to speak aloud. After weeks of practise, he'd finally re-mastered his shadow clones and had left one behind at the orphanage, so even ANBU shouldn't have any reason to look for him.

However, there was still the ever present issue of his age and the limitations thereof.

"I can't do anything, I can't go anywhere, and I'm  _bored!_ "

 _Then practise your sealing and let me sleep_ , said the irritated voice of Kurama. _Weren't you all strung up about honouring the legacy of your clan?_

Naruto made a petulant noise in the back of his throat. "I would need  _you_  for that, and you know it. I've got literally nothing else - no scrolls, no teacher."

In fact, Naruto had been pretty surprised about how knowledgeable and, perhaps more importantly,  _intuitive_  Kurama was when it came to seals. Somehow, it was easy to forget his companion was so intelligent. Naruto suspected it had something to do with Kurama's perpetually grouchy nature and reputation of forgoing strategy in favour of literally stomping down his opponents.

They had spent what might have been hours in the real world immersed in trying to hash out what the basic principles of sealing were. It was slow going, because they only had the (admittedly masterful) seal Naruto's father had left on his stomach and a few more or less vague memories to go by.

Another problem was that the seals Naruto did make were still prototypes and would need to be tested out for defects. Learn from your mistakes, and all that. Naruto had made several dozens of storage seals before Kurama had thought to point this out, and now had a whole pile of them in the pocket of his pants.

They almost felt like they were burning a hole in the fabric. He  _needed_ to know if they worked.

Then, an idea struck him much like an electric shock, making the little hairs in his back stand up in goose bumps. A slow and rather evil grin crossed his face.

Naruto pulled out the slightly worn bunch of seals and dunked them into water. A distinct  _whoosh_  informed him that at least the storage part seemed to work.

"Kurama, how about we show them why I am the prank master around here?"

 

......

_Next door to the Academy, rooftop, early morning_

......

 

It really shouldn't have been that easy to sneak into the academy, Naruto thought as he stood on the side of a road, waiting for the start of the school day and the first rush of children. Of course, nothing of exceptional value was stored there, but he had managed to  _rig the whole place with seals_.

Someone else might have used explosive ones. He was doing everyone a favour here, pointing out this security problem.

 _I'm sure everyone will be so grateful they will give you a reward_ , said Kurama, voice dry enough to be used as kindling.

Before Naruto could reply, several windows of the academy broke as a flood of water rushed through.

He grinned. Showtime.

 

......

 

Half an hour later, he found himself hiding in a little weapons shop. The old man behind the counter hadn't seemed to notice him enter, or anything else for that matter, and Naruto thought he sort of looked like he could use a dusting. It was the perfect place to weather the commotion.

_Sheesh, the ANBU really are persistent._

He had had to send several shadow clones to lay false trails to be able to slip off. Everyone sure liked to overreact. No one had gotten hurt, or anything.

 _It's because you're pretending to be an adult, and someone not of this village,_ said the exasperated voice of Kurama.  _What did you_ think  _would happen? A scolding and a week of detention?_

Naruto ignored him, and glanced around. The shop itself wasn't very memorable, offering the usual selection of basic tools like kunai, shuriken and ninja wire. He could also see cases of supplements, like those pills meant for replenishing chakra or blood that he'd never bothered to buy. There were thin, gleaming senbon, things that looked like small sickles, and swords of different lengths and types. Several staffs were sticking up from a pot in the corner.

One of them caught his eye. It was a slightly battered thing, made of once-bright brass. There were six metal rings on the end, and a little tag that proclaimed it to be 'on sale'.

It looked familiar, as a concept, as an idea.

Naruto picked it up, and felt the weight in his arms. The sage had had one of these, from what he remembered of the odd netherworld.

It was a reminder, the shape of it. There was something he _had_  to accomplish. He should try and make proper use of the time he'd been given. It would be all too easy to slip into pranking and forget to do other things on the side, when he had so much time to do it.

"Hey, old man, how much for this?"

 

_......_

 

_You sure this is a good idea?_

Kurama's voice sounded like he was rather doubtful of Naruto's ability to judge such things.

"Hey, the last one was a great success."

_If by success you mean 'village-wide witch hunt', then yes. Success._

"Oi. The seals worked!" Naruto defended. He'd been quite proud, really, of the chaos and flooding and general disarray. A masterful prank, if he ever saw one.

Half  _of those things worked like supposed. The rest kept fizzing out rainstorms and who knows what every few hours. And those were the least iffy examples._

"Yeah, it was  _awesome_. Hehe."

 _Storage seals are supposed to be_ reliable.  _As in, release what they contain nicely and without problems. And not with the kind of force that can put a hole in a wall. You were lucky it was a teacher who got the brunt of that._

"Oh, psh. I know where I went wrong. I won't fail again. This barrier seal is going to be awesome."

Kurama didn't answer, but there was a definite sense of 'I'll believe it when I see it'. Kind of like a telepathic version of a raised eyebrow. And Kurama's eyebrow was not something to be ignored.

Naruto ignored it.

If this barrier seal worked, he'd be able to leave his clones to gather natural energy anywhere. A big tactical advantage.

(And, somewhere in the back of his mind was the thought that  _this time_ Neji wouldn't have to...)

Locking away that dark memory, Naruto slammed his palm on the ground. Webbed ink spread, pulsed, and disappeared. Naruto grinned. Few more of these, and Konoha proper would be a maze. With extra invisible walls.

However, as it turned out, these seals were just as defective as the storage seals. In their own way. The issue had to do with the energy output, which wasn't as stable or evenly spread as necessary.

Basically, sometimes the barrier worked and sometimes it didn't. While it was up, and  _technically_  functional.

The first victim was a plump cheerful housewife, who walked up against an invisible force field and dropped her shopping bags. There was a minor commotion as people stopped to help her out and scratch their heads as to what had happened.

There was no sign of the obstacle, until three small children bounced off of it, twenty feet from the initial site, and landed on their bottoms. Their parents made a fuss while the children tried to get away from them to explore the phenomenon.

On the other side of the village, a shinobi in the middle of a leap yelped, bounced off the air and fell. As a ninja, he managed to land on his feet, but it didn't help him much. His colleague and friend had already jogged back to laugh at him, having passed by the same spot without a single issue. It was very gratifying for the first ninja when his friend smashed face first into another invisible wall. Or, more precisely, the same wall that now happened to work in the spot he tried to pass.

Things didn't get any better from there. For the entire afternoon, people kept walking into walls that were sometimes there and sometimes weren't. Most were of the opinion that if there had to be bloody walls, they should stay where they were and not flicker in and out of existence so everyone forgot where they were.

Insult to injury, some of the walls were more fickle than others. This was shown when the Hokage, having come to inspect the situation in person, managed to run face first into a particular force-field that had not stopped anyone else along its supposed surface area during the entire day.

'Asura' was too busy laughing to be disappointed, as he watched the events from the top of one of the tall wooden posts that supported electric wires.

Especially because it took Konoha days to remove all of them. It was much like a constant mime show, if involving more cursing than usually.

 

......

 

A couple of weeks later, the entire Hokage tower found that the gravity inside the building was a little more lax than usual. This was evident from the way coffee floated upwards when poured and people could hop up from their chairs to visit the toilet and find themselves on the ceiling. Casualties also included weeks of work when carefully sorted paperwork scattered around at the slightest nudge.

The reason for this turned out to be a whole batch of what looked like gravity manipulation seals in the walls of the round building. It took five hours to scrub them off.

As far as Asura was concerned, this too was a great success. Kurama disagreed, and there were arguments.

(To everyone who was witness to his rants, Asura's apparent tendency to talk to himself wasn't the  _weirdest_  thing ninja had seen, per se. But it  _was_ somewhat more worrying than the usual catalogue of personal quirks and knots the mind could twist into in their profession.)

Despite the aggravation and tension, Konoha eventually grew used to having a permanent menace in their midst, in the same manner people under siege can have dinner while bullets fly over their heads.

And so, with the occasional explosion of glitter or confetti, time passed.

 

......

_An abandoned shack, somewhere in the outskirts of Konoha, early evening (several months after the Hyuuga incident)_

......

 

Naruto frowned. Around him on the wooden floor were papers filled with scribbles. Some seemed charred; some others floated two inches from the floor. In front of him were his attempts at crafting a seal that would let his shadow clones take a few more hits. He'd need them if he wanted to get out of the village before he hit double digits in years again.

"Well, this sucks."

It did. Thing was, in a certain manner, the seal did work. It was 'permanent', at least.

However, that only applied to the seal itself. The squiggles and kanji it consisted of did not actually do  _anything_ for the substance they were applied on. They were just impossible to erase.

Permanent graffiti, if you would.

Naruto was, for the lack of a better word, sulking. He could deal with failures and disappointments, but there were limits.

 _None_  of his seals seemed to do what he wanted. That is to say, they mostly did something along the lines they were supposed to. But it was just…  _shoddy_.

Even the improved barriers still covered only about seventy per cent of the area they were supposed to protect, at any one time. The storage seals tended to launch their contents at high speed when released, and while that might have been good for weapons, Naruto didn't fancy getting bombarded with his own field rations (i.e. instant noodle cups). The gravity seal had been a bit of a curious 'can I do this' sort of experiment anyway, but that too had differing states of effectiveness. Sometimes the field was strong enough to lift a human, sometimes it just gave everyone a weird hairstyle of the literal 'defying gravity' variety.

And now this. It was the one he  _needed_. He had to start sending clones out of the village to do things like check on Gaara and Orochimaru. Which he couldn't do if his clones poofed out of existence should they manage to poke themselves with a pointy stick.

He sighed, stood up and stretched. Well. At least he'd get a prank out of these, if he managed to inscribe them onto the gunpowder. It was worth a try. Who knew, messages on the night sky could prove useful if they ended up in a war again.

Speaking of pranks, he had to take advantage of his anonymity while he had it. The glint of his staff in a sunny spot reminded him that he had a schedule, even if it was a lax one.

On top of everything else, he wanted to give Kurama some time and interaction with people while Akatsuki wasn't moving and things were relatively peaceful. His friend had to get used to the society at some point.

 _I hope you are aware that people are going to come up with their own explanations and conclusions. Which are going to be inconvenient for us_.

By now, Kurama had given up on 'incredulous' and mostly sounded like he no longer had any hope for Naruto's common sense.

"Pff, it's fine. It's not like it'll be connected to ' _us_ ' us. I can just have Asura 'disappear' or something, when I no longer need him. I mean, what could happen?"

 

......

_Main street, Konoha, just before noon (again)_

......

 

Ninja life had been oddly out of tune, lately. Instead of the usual dark shades of grey and the occasional splash of carmine blood, the colour of life in Konoha could be more accurately described as 'rainbow'. With sparkles.

It was the first time in the history of the village when its most wanted criminal hadn't actually spilled one drop of blood. This status was all due to sheer aggravation, and not entirely official so much as the general consensus. Some might have argued that this all increased Konoha's ability to prepare for actual, serious sabotage and remove malicious seals, but those people were not usually responsible for dealing with the situation.

As far as Kakashi was concerned, this slapstick comedy routine interfered with his ability to feel his dead loved ones haunt his every step. One day he might be grateful. Right now he wanted to introduce the asshole's head to a wall. Preferably one made of stone.

This was a good chance too. The target was currently covered in paint, and left bright neon footsteps all over the place. Chances were, it wasn't a clone this time.

However, he had underestimated his opponent.

As soon as he managed to catch up, preparing to make some sort of suitably cool and aloof statement about him being now under arrest, the grin on Asura's face vanished. There was a flash of something sad and painful, but it was gone so quickly Kakashi couldn't be sure it had been really there. Even with Sharingan.

Then, it was gone and Asura fell on his knees. His eyes were wide and, to his dread, seemed to  _sparkle_.

"Oh, what beauty! Truly, stars themselves pale in comparison, and the light of moon cannot compete with the shine of your hair! I have never known such a vision could exist in real life!"

Kakashi stared, eyes slowly widening in horror. When Asura leaped, ostensibly to embrace him, he turned tail and ran.

On the other side of the street, a hapless Uchiha constable very nearly broke down to cry. It would be his responsibility to report this to Fugaku-sama.

 

......

_The Konoha central park, several minutes later_

......

 

"Did you see his  _face?_ "

 _I'm glad to see you are acting your age,_ said a sour voice. Since the only one who could hear it was the red-headed man who had folded over from laughter, the image presented to the general public might have been rather worrying, if there had been anyone around to see.

"Screw you. Serves him right, for all that crap he used to pull on us. And the excuses! Listening to him, you'd think Konoha's population was all old ladies needing help."

 _...You may want to know we have an audience,_ Kurama pointed out.

Asura blinked, and lifted his head. His back was still hunched, which meant that he was now face-to-face with the young child who was staring at him. The child had dark hair and dark eyes, and might have been entirely unremarkable, if Asura had not known him.

Uchiha Itachi blinked. There was a certain hint of a look in his eyes which suggested he thought Asura was a madman. More precisely, the kind that collects bottle caps and cats and is entirely harmless.

Asura felt his soul fold a little. To him, Itachi had long been the harbinger of doom - before he had turned out to be an uncanny sort of an ally, the type who holds half of the cards in their sleeves and expects you to up the ante anyway.

It was difficult to accept the existence of Itachi the child.

"Are you all right?" Itachi asked. The voice, too, was childish. "Mother says that if you're feeling unwell, you need a med-nin. I don't know if there are any for your head, though."

Asura deflated a little. "Oi. Rude, brat. I don't look that weird, do I?"

"Yes."

" _Oi._ "

 

......

 

Uchiha Itachi was no fool. He had sensed the change, and come to conclusions long before his mother sat him down and explained why he would be in charge of more household chores for a while. Namely, taking care of Sasuke.

The entire clan had been run off their feet for months now. There was a certain nervous tension to the way everyone moved, and his father was hardly ever home these days.

Still, he couldn't quite decide if he wanted the intruder caught or not. There had been another tension there, before. A high-strung one, which reminded him of earthquakes that build up for years and years before they destroy your life in few short moments.

He couldn't be sure what would be the result of it, but he had thought of war and blood, and worried. Surely, it couldn't be that bad, and yet -

He watched the red-haired man, who was about the least threatening adult ninja he had come across. Powerful, yes, but not dangerous. Sometimes there was a difference.

There was no mistaking his identity. Wanted posters were everywhere, with a rather poor rendition of the man's face and a message that said 'Have you seen this man?'

The real version looked, well, harmless.

There was something odd about the way he looked at Itachi, though. Mostly sad, but also a hint of steel and what had to be a variation of that 'Will of Fire' they had taught about in the academy.

It couldn't hurt to ask. He wanted to know.

"What are you trying to accomplish? Why cause disturbance?"

The man blinked, then frowned and cocked his head far enough that red strands of hair fell over his eyes. Despite the comical effect, he seemed to regard the question entirely seriously.

"At first I was just passing time, but then I saw an old lady thank your dad this other day. I want everyone to get along. If I'm the enemy, maybe that can happen. It'd be good, right?"

Itachi nodded slowly, feeling a little like there was something here he was missing, some history he didn't know of. The man smiled. It was a sad look.

"Go on, then. Your family is waiting."

Itachi turned, then stopped and considered. He turned back.

"I'm Itachi," he offered, on a whim. He was rewarded with a smile, which, in Itachi's opinion, looked like it deserved metaphors that had to do with illumination and fire. And superlatives.

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Asura."

 

......

_Ichiraku ramen, lunchtime_

......

 

Once more, Hyuuga Hiashi found himself sitting at a ramen stand. He made a face at the greasy concoction. It wasn't as though it was  _bad_ , per se, even if he would never admit such a thing out loud. He was just... used to finer cuisine. The kind that was nutritionally balanced. This could not be good for his sodium levels.

His companion and reason for being there in the first place kept bursting into fits of laughter. Hiashi had had to pound him in the back several times because he kept doing that while he was swallowing. Hiashi had a certain measure of Asura's survival instinct, now, and wondered how the man had managed to live to this day.

"May I ask what is so amusing?" he asked, wiping the corner of his mouth with a rather poor quality paper napkin.

"It's just… hehehe, I totally got back at this one guy who used to pull all this stupid crap on me ages ago. I'll stop laughing soon, I swear. I just keep remembering his face."

"Is that the reason you have seen it fit to menace this village, then?" Hiashi asked, carefully filing away what Asura had slipped. So, he had some sort of history with Konoha, after all. Interesting.

"I hope you realise I cannot overlook your behaviour forever."

"Don't worry, I'll quit. Soon. I've just been kinda bored," Asura said, drinking the last drops of the ramen stock from the bowl. A thin line of liquid trailed down his jaw.

"But now I finally finished that one thing, so I can leave Konoha. There's a person I gotta track down."

"…An enemy," Hiashi ventured. It wasn't a question. Asura's face told him enough, the angry glint in his eyes, the steely resolve.

"Yeah. So you won't be seeing me for a bit. I'll be back sooner or later, though."

Hiashi pushed his empty bowl away. Asura tended to clam up when prodded, he had to be careful.

"Why? Why return?"

"I... I can't tell you," Asura said. There was something bitter and regretful about the words.

"Secrets are the way of ninja," Hiashi said gently. There were moments like this, when Asura seemed very young and very lonely. He found himself doubting this person was an enemy, and the idea seemed less and less foolish every time they spoke. He also thought he understood his daughter's fervent admiration a little better.

"But to say nothing can be as bad as telling everything."

He waited, and was rewarded.

Asura seemed to debate something internally, frowning uncertainly and shifting on his seat. Then, there was a change. A decision was made, and Hiashi didn't need Byakugan to see how determination wrote itself on the lines of Asura's face.

"Okay. Okay, I guess you should know. I... There's this one guy, used to be a ninja of Konoha. Has this ugly orange mask. Might call himself Tobi. People think he's dead. That's why he gets away with it."

Hiashi nodded, slowly. "He is the one you are chasing, then?"

"Mm, not yet. He's kinda hard to catch. I have other enemies, too."

 

......

_Tanzaku gai, Land of Fire, early evening_

......

 

There was a commotion in the largest casino of the town.

A man with long black hair and rather frightening yellow eyes with slitted pupils had arrived, and promptly made every single slot machine spew out coins like grain. No one had quite seen  _what_  exactly he did to accomplish such a thing, but then, no one cared. It was free money.

Several burly and scarred men, who seemed to lack a few fingers here and there, approached the culprit and suggested that the esteemed customer would kindly step outside. They were polite in a manner that very clearly suggested extreme pain in near future.

Everyone in the vicinity promptly scooted away from the pale man, even as they were in the middle of a struggle with the casino staff who tried to keep everyone away from the coins.

Unfortunately for everyone, the staff of the establishment was entirely unaware of Orochimaru and his questionable achievements in life.  _Fortunately_ , the man in question only appeared to be Orochimaru.

The impostor grinned, and proceeded to escape through the roof. Literally.

The tasteful and hand-crafted red-golden koi effigy on the rooftop of the building blew up, raining shiny wooden scales across the block.

The Orochimaru doppelgänger laughed, and made to dance before appearing to think better of it. But he  _did_  yell.

"I, the great Orochimaru, have taken over this casino! Everyone, please help yourselves! Get back at these greedy men by taking what is rightfully yours!"

The locals cheered, and proceeded to sack the building. Somewhere along the line, it set on fire and burned down.

The local yakuza were not happy. Neither were the police, for that matter.

 

......

_The capital, Land of Fire, noon_

......

 

On that day, a most unusual bank robbery took place. The assailant seemed to be a pale man with long black hair. He also wore a laughable fake moustache and very dark sunglasses.

Most people found that his disguise was made even more useless by the fact that he made sure to introduce himself several times. Very loudly.

Mysteriously, the local charities received several anonymous donations a few days after the commotion had died down.

 

......

_A certain coastal town, Land of Fire, just before teatime_

......

 

There was a certain oddness to this particular crime, was the consensus of the local police. Overnight, every single public toilet in the town had been defiled. The graffiti had been signed too. This person, 'Orochimaru', had even marched in to confess and after the paperwork had been completed, promptly escaped.

It didn't seem to make any sense.

 

......

_Otafuku gai, Land of Fire, after sunrise_

......

 

The fourth Orochimaru stayed in jail a little longer than the other ones, for whatever reason. Perhaps it was the hangover. He had demolished an entire bar in drunken rage, having screamed how he, the great Orochimaru, should have been the Hokage instead of that little piece of -

(The shadow clone was, frankly, rather worried it had been able to drink himself (itself?) to stupor. Thankfully he had been able to stick to the script. Boss would be angry enough as it was.)

 

......

_A town near the Land of Sound, Land of Fire, afternoon_

......

 

The last Orochimaru impostor had been especially clever, in his own opinion. He had let himself get caught trying to sell booze to a minor, exclaiming that he, Orochimaru, only wished to kidnap inebriated minors for his experiments and not because he wanted their bodies. Although, admittedly, there were also kids whose bodies he did intend to take, but not like  _that_. It didn't  _matter_  if it sounded perverted, it was about immortality, not sex.

The locals were not convinced.

 

......

_An abandoned shack, somewhere in the outskirts of Konoha, around ten o'clock in the morning_

......

 

Naruto staggered a little, then sat down to process what he, technically, had done. Even though the clones had dispelled at different times, the memories returned as one big jumble. He'd have to revise the seal again, but that was a worry set for later.

"What. What was... Where on earth... How did my clones even  _come up_  with that stuff? I gave them instructions!"

 _I wonder, yes._ Your  _clones, disobeying orders? Unthinkable._

Naruto groaned, trying to ignore his prickly friend.

He had, admittedly, wanted to give Orochimaru something to keep him occupied, but this all had a definite flavour of something that would come to bite him later on.

Bloody shadow clones, what were they even doing, coming up with weird stuff on the spot? What was the use of having more copies of himself, if they were just going to improvise everything and not follow his directions?

Somewhere inside the sewer of his mind, Kurama's laughter sent ripples across the water.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oookay, this chapter turned a little weird. I guess I just can't write longer passages of time that well. But you guys have waited long enough, and I don't think it's going to get any better even if I edit this for another month. I've found that I just can't force this particular story. At all.
> 
> I was wondering, how many of you would be interested in excerpts for my stories? I might consider making a new tumblr for those, since my main account is sort of 'reblog whatever' type of thing. I wouldn't recommend following that one.
> 
> The story is going to stay strictly gen. No romance whatsoever. Naruto was just trying to freak Kakashi out.
> 
> Naruto's attempt at having shadow clones do his long-distance business turned out a bit complicated. Sometimes, it doesn't pay off to be the most unpredictable ninja in Konoha.


	4. Underneath the underneath

......

_Somewhere in the budding hidden village of Sound, Land of Rice Paddies (later known as Land of Sound), late afternoon_

......

 

Life was always harsh and difficult for everyone who lived in the secret laboratories that made up the Village of Sound. Not that it was much of a village, yet, because most of the bases were still in the process of being built.

However, lately things had been worse for everyone involved.

"Make fun of  _me_? Kukuku..."

Orochimaru's smile was amiable and horrifying, as he stabbed his latest experiment.

His various underlings/slaves/experiments (it was a sliding scale) kept silent and out of his way. You learned that sort of thing quickly, if you had any self-preservation instincts at all.

 

......

_An establishment of questionable virtue, Land of Fire, early evening_

......

 

Jiraiya blinked, scratched at his head and blinked again. He had heard the rumours, of course, because it was his job to know these things. But this particular gossip just didn't seem to make sense.

The person in question couldn't have been the real Orochimaru, that was clear. Despite everything, Jiraiya liked to think he knew his old comrade a little better than most people and the bastard's sense of drama had always run more to the side of gross and cruel rather than… well, rather than this.

As it was, he had already had his fair share of sake, and promptly realised this news meant that somewhere was the real Orochimaru who had been told he had been seen robbing banks wearing a false moustache, and keeled over with laughter.

He would have insisted it was all very manly. The ladies who kept him company would have told him he had giggled.

 

......

_A gambling parlour, Land of Fire, afternoon_

......

 

Tsunade blinked at Shizune, then frowned at her cup of sake. Her gaze could have been used for dissection.

"Shizune, how much have I drunk today?"

"Tsunade-sama?"

"I could have sworn you just told me Orochimaru has been spotted vandalising toilets in the town next over."

 

......

_Ichiraku ramen, Konoha, lunchtime (yet again)_

......

 

Hyuuga Hiashi glared at his bowl of ramen. It was greasy and salty and overall had very little to offer in terms of nutrition. So, why did he keep eating it?

He couldn't even blame Asura. No one had seen hide nor hair of the man in the last couple of weeks, and Hiashi still found himself eating lunch at Ichiraku every week, on a surgically precise schedule.

He sighed and wrapped noodles around his chopsticks.

"Yo, Hiashi-san! Long time no see!"

Hiashi looked up, and saw Asura's beaming face.

"Hello," he said, and gestured at the empty seat next to him. "I would tell you that I was surprised to hear what you did, but it was exactly the sort of thing I might have expected from you."

Asura grinned and rubbed at the back of his head, as he collapsed on the seat. "Ahahaha, well, yeah. That was all totally what I intended to do all along. If he's busy chasing me, he doesn't have time to bother everyone else, right?"

Hiashi's eyes narrowed. "Indeed. But I must confess I am bothered by this tendency to forfeit your own welfare and act as the scapegoat. One of these days you will end up in trouble you can't just run away from. If you get in too deep, there is only so much I will be able to do for you."

And there it was, that flash of vulnerability on Asura's face. It was gone in the blink of an eye, hidden by a smile, but Hiashi knew what to look for.

Asura was lonely. That was why he kept showing up for lunch, even though he was the public enemy number one.

Hiashi wasn't so sure about his own motives, anymore. By all rights, he should have tried to arrest the man a long time ago – if not for the constant petty menace, then for the information he seemed to have. But always, always he managed to argue to himself that the soft approach had worked wonders, that there was no need to antagonise Asura and that the Hokage had yet to insist.

"Remember, Asura," Hiashi said, "that it is not a good idea to try to do everything alone. Nothing good will come of that."

Asura's eyes widened, and Hiashi knew the words had hit a chord somewhere. "I… yeah. Thanks, Hiashi-san."

Hiashi gave him the same smile he had given his infant daughter. Something about Asura made him feel almost paternal.

And then Asura froze, eyes widening in a way that suggested someone had caught him with a hand in cookie jar.

"Gotta go! See you, Hiashi-san!"

He was gone in a flash of yellow, just as Hatake Kakashi burst in through the little flaps that almost passed for a curtain. A bucketful of pink paper hearts exploded from a seal set on the roof. Hiashi watched with mild amusement as they pelted against Kakashi's shoulders with the strength of a hail storm. Kakashi cursed.

"Damn! Stupid slick bastard."

Hiashi raised an eyebrow. Kakashi picked a paper heart from his hair and slumped down on the seat Asura had vacated.

"I apologise for my language, Hiashi-sama. If you don't mind me asking, you, well, you know him, right?"

Hiashi gave a regal nod, and sipped the leftover broth. He was far too well-mannered to waste food, even if it was greasy and salty and gross and delicious.

"Better than most people, yes."

"Why does he… do this? Why me, out of everyone?"

Kakashi waved the little paper heart, unsure how to express his problem politely.

"If you are referring to the sappy poems and flowers, then I do have an inkling. I believe Asura is, above all, a man who likes to use grand, showy elements as a disguise."

Kakashi blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Most shinobi tend to go for the unnoticed and low-key approach, they strive to be dismissed as nothing. A rare few do the opposite; they exaggerate and posture so much that an observer cannot see the truth. I believe Asura is fundamentally a person who finds it difficult to be anything less than himself, so subtlety is not an option for him."

"So, what you're saying is –"

"It is just another type of mask. But it is also not necessarily all false. Although I would say it is highly unlikely he harbours any true attraction to you, there is a chance you and he have some sort of a connection you are unaware of."

 

......

_An alley, the seedy side of Konoha, midnight (almost one year after Naruto's temporal displacement)_

......

 

The half-moon hung in the sky, yellow and drunk. Naruto sat on top of a garbage tin in a filthy alleyway, hiding from the mob of pursuers. If there was one thing that never changed, it was the lack of a sense of humour around here. Sheesh. Throw one pie on the face of one ANBU and you're suddenly the public enemy number one.

Although it had been more like fifteen pies launched from one of his storage seals in the ANBU break room, as Kurama was all too happy to remind him. But the point stood. They were  _pies_.

Of course, one particular person had again managed to find him. Naruto kind of wanted to know how, but he suspected the answer would have been bad for his ego.

"Hiya, Itachi," said Naruto. Itachi inclined his head, tiny and serious and apparently already better at tracking than the entirety of ANBU. Naruto might have chalked it up for a coincidence, but he had run out of fingers trying to count how many times Itachi had stalked him down.

"Good evening," Itachi said, sounding a little like he was greeting the Hokage, or at least clan elders.

Naruto hoped he wasn't thinking of clan elders. They tended to be withered sour old people who smelled of cabbage and argued about everything. No one liked those guys.

"I don't smell like cabbage, do I?" he asked anxiously. Itachi blinked, very slowly.

"…No, you do not."

"Ah, that's a relief!" Naruto said and beamed. He still didn't quite know what to think of Itachi, or how to act around him, so he went for his default option: exaggerated cheerfulness. "How's it been lately? Still good?"

Itachi nodded. "Yes. I find that my clansmen are still growing closer to the village. Thank you."

Naruto rubbed at the back of his head. It was always an effort to keep a conversation going around Itachi.

"Well, I just want to help everyone. I don't believe in that Curse of Hatred horse manure anyway. People are people. We all gotta try to change the world little by little. You can't just think you can do it all at once on your own or you end up trying to curse the moon and then a huge tree tries to kill everyone."

Itachi stared, apparently not knowing what to say to that. Naruto cringed inwardly. Something about Itachi's childish, already-weary features made him a little nervous, which inevitably lead to weird stuff coming out of his mouth without asking for permission.

And Itachi was so smart, too, definitely somewhere up there with people like Shikamaru. One of these days he'd slip something and Itachi would figure him out.

He and Kurama had talked about whether or not to keep the secret, during those first days of confusion when he couldn't even get out of bed without tripping and falling somewhere along the line. Naruto had wanted to try, to maybe see if the old man would believe him, but Kurama had argued that the situation could get out of hand even in the best case. Worst case (for them, at least) would have involved a Yamanaka, and Kurama had outright promised to devour anyone trying to get into Naruto's mind. Kurama had had enough of people attempting to control him. Naruto supposed he understood.

But that still left him here, alone if not for a giant fox, and facing a genius child with deep, sad eyes.

…Here, in the seediest, most disreputable area of Konoha.

"Hey, what are you doing here anyway? You're a kid!"

Itachi stiffened. He looked a little defensive. "I am a registered ninja. I am allowed."

"Yeah, and you're  _nine_. Or something like that, I don't know, I can't remember. But you shouldn't be in this place! Come on, I'm taking you home."

There was a brief pause, before Itachi reached over and grabbed Naruto's hand.

He was smiling.

_Huh. What's with the happy face? I'm just taking care of him._

Soon enough Naruto had to worry about getting spotted by ANBU, and the absent thought slipped away like soap suds rinsed down the drain.

 

......

_Uchiha district, a little after midnight_

......

 

Uchiha Fugaku had been run off his feet for months on end, and his workload hadn't seemed to lighten in the slightest even after That Bastard had cut down on his misbehaviour. He couldn't remember the last time he'd slept properly, and had lately subsisted on nothing but strong coffee and the occasional packed lunch.

He was all but due a heart attack, and the sight of his oldest son holding the hand of the bane of his existence really should have been the straw to break the camel's back.

Apparently the universe had no sense of proper dramatic timing.

 

......

_On the side of Naka river, near the Uchiha district, early evening_

......

 

Sasuke frowned, as he stared into the depths of the water. He should be getting home, really, it was almost dinnertime. But it wasn't as though anyone would notice if he was late.

He couldn't quite remember the last time he  _had_  been noticed. Things with police work had calmed down, like his mother had promised, but both of his parents had somehow failed to equate this fact with the thought that they now had time to pay attention to their youngest son.

He folded further into himself and gripped his knees so hard his knuckles went white. Only Itachi still saw him, really saw, and talked to him and even trained with him on occasion. He'd been getting better with shuriken, even managed to get a bull's eye the other day. Itachi had noticed, and told him he was proud.

Sasuke couldn't help but think that if his busy busy  _brother_  had time, his parents should –

"Heya!"

The voice was bright and obnoxious. Sasuke turned to get rid of the idiot trying to bother him and did a prompt double-take.

It was a vision in orange. A bright, eye-watering vision that imprinted itself on the surface of his eyeballs. He sent a brief prayer in thanks to whatever kami had seen to it that he hadn't activated his Sharingan as young as Itachi.

The blond kid seemed unconcerned about Sasuke's distress, if grin was anything to go by. He was wearing a rather tattered orange robe and dragged a monk's staff on the ground.

Sasuke turned back to the water and didn't answer. The intruder ignored Sasuke's attempt at giving him the cold shoulder, stepped on the wooden planks and plopped down next to him.

"I'm Naruto. Wanna change the world with me?"

Sasuke blinked. Despite his vow to ignore the pest, he turned back to Naruto.

"What?"

"Like I said. Come change the world with me."

"…Why me?" Sasuke asked, suspicion creeping into his voice. He couldn't think of any reason why some stranger would approach him, even if it was a kid.

Naruto took a deep breath. Sasuke inwardly cursed himself.

"A long, long time ago lived the Sage of Six Paths. He had two sons…"

Sasuke had expected something nonsensical and irritating. What he got was a story of his own clan that he'd never known before. He  _had_  known the Uchiha had used to fight the Senju, but he'd never been told of how the rivalry had begun.

It was… Well, it was upsetting. He'd been taught to be proud of his clan, proud of their history and abilities and…

"That… that's so petty. Why'd we all fight for centuries because of something like that?"

Naruto shrugged. "Tell me about it. Especially because both brothers were wrong anyway."

Sasuke frowned. "How come? Wasn't it Senju Hashirama who made the feud end by cooperating with the Uchiha? Wouldn't that mean the younger brother was right?"

Clan pride smarted, but he couldn't quite help himself.

"The younger one believed in love and cooperation, but he still failed to work with his  _own brother_. I can't think of a bigger failure," Naruto said firmly. "And the Sage failed too. He should have believed in both of them. Hashirama only managed to make this village because he did reach Madara. Even if it all went to hell later."

He stood up, and offered Sasuke his hand. The solemn expression looked rather unsettling on his five-year old features.

"No one can bring peace to the world alone. And I never want to make the same mistake everyone else did. We shouldn't fight."

Sasuke was sure, then, that this was a person who would do what he promised even if he was five, even if he had to work his whole life to get there, even if he died in the process.

Sasuke looked at the offered hand and hesitated. Did he want to commit?

But.

While he wasn't sure what Naruto's deal was, this was the first time someone had picked him over everyone else. Over his brother.

He reached over and took Naruto's hand.

 

......

_Konoha memorial stone, midmorning_

......

 

Kakashi stood, staring at the names. It was moments like this when he thought the stone encompassed the world. There was nothing beyond the little clearing, and he was the only person who existed.

Well, he and the dead.

Everyone had died, while he lived on. Sensei's son was still there, but little Naruto had been an infant at the time, and then years had passed and he'd never managed to make an effort.

Yet another thing he regretted, the latest in a long list. He sometimes wondered if he was cursed to make mistake after another, fail when it really mattered and he really should not have failed, only to succeed effortlessly at trivial things.

And, as it was, how could he possibly have a connection to Asura? His only guess was that the man might have been related to Kushina, but Kakashi hadn't been  _that_  close to her. And her village had long been lost to the tides of war.

The niggling questions and doubt felt like his brain was being worn away by the edges.

"It'd be a good idea to stop doing that."

Kakashi jerked, trance broken, and took a step back, heart beating that ancient drum of fight-or-flight and embarrassment flushing his ears. He hadn't even sensed Asura's presence.

The man in question was sitting on top of the stone, and his face was twisted in a sneer. His presence slowly grew more oppressive, and Kakashi realised with a jolt of alarm that he must now be speaking with 'Kurama'.

"I mean it. You should stop coming to visit Obito."

Kakashi bristled. Asura was annoying, but it was Kurama who made him  _wary_. "It's my own business! You didn't know him, you don't know what he did."

"Yes, I do," Kurama said. His voice was thin and sharp like ninja wire. "I know more about him than you do. And I'm telling you to stop coming here."

"If you're going to do the whole 'that's not what he would have wanted'–speech –"

"I don't care what Obito would have wanted," Kurama said, looking like the very idea offended him. "I'm just telling you to stop worshiping his memory."

Before Kakashi could edge in another word, Kurama stabbed himself with a stick and poofed into wisps of smoke.

 

......

_A hidden spot alongside the Naka river, midmorning (again)_

......

 

"You came!" Naruto said, elated. Sasuke cringed, and looked like he was already regretting his decision. Then, he coughed and stood tall.

"I gave you my word," Sasuke said, with all the grandeur a five-year old could manage. "And besides, it's not like they'll –"

He caught himself, and his face closed off like curtains. Naruto pretended not to notice. In many ways, both of them were still abandoned boys. There were things you understood with just a look.

And there was always one reliable way to work out frustrations.

"We should train," he said cheerfully. "We have to get strong if we want to achieve anything."

Sasuke nodded, looking thoughtful. "Yeah. Adults won't listen if we are weak."

And then, for the first time in both of Naruto's lives, he lunged at Sasuke without lingering regret or unhealthy rivalry.

 

......

 

Half an hour later, the two lay panting on the riverside.

Sasuke had to admit that Naruto was  _good_. Not a lot of strength or finesse yet, but stamina and good instincts. He was a good match.

And something about him was both irritating and soothing, because he couldn't help feeling that Naruto, somehow,  _understood_. When Sasuke wanted to hide something, Naruto never pointed it out.

Sasuke hesitated.

"Hey, Naruto?" he said quietly, and his voice shook just a little. "Do you think my parents love me?"

He hadn't really wanted to ask that. It was far too personal for his comfort. But here, in the hidden spot, he didn't have to be anything but Sasuke. And Naruto wouldn't tattle.

For all Naruto was clearly a little out there – what kind of five year old decided to devote their life to world peace? – he also reminded Sasuke a little of Itachi, who always seemed so wise when he spoke. And talking to Naruto didn't involve that whole mess of love and envy and frustration at being so far away in terms of, well,  _everything_. And talking to his parents was even worse.

It was safe to ask this question from Naruto, who was a new acquaintance, who looked at him and didn't find him wanting.

Naruto looked a little panicked, his mouth hung open in surprise. Sasuke's lip twitched, the traitor.

" _Yes_ ," Naruto said, and Sasuke could hear the way he forced himself to speak.  _For my sake_ , he thought, and his heart warmed a little.

"I'm sure they love you. It's a ninja world, and…" Naruto said, and his eyes glazed over as though he was listening so some inner voice Sasuke couldn't hear. "It's like, it's like an ocean. You see the surface, but there's all kinds of stuff you don't know under the waves. And sometimes light jumps off the surface and blinds you, so you can't see under. And sometimes it's stormy and – okay, you got the point."

Naruto flailed, and scratched at the back of his head sheepishly.

"But anyway, since people hide stuff for the ninja business, they also learn to hide stuff at home. So your mom and dad probably just don't realise you can't see it yet. You gotta learn to see underneath the underneath."

His face twitched at the words, as though saying them was a sacrifice of a sort. Sasuke didn't pay attention.

"The truth… is hidden underneath the underneath, huh."

 

And so, time passed.

 

......

_The academy, first day of school, early morning (two years after Naruto's temporal displacement)_

......

 

Iruka had fully expected his class to be a handful. From what he had gathered, there were five clan heirs. And two kids who would have been heirs, if not for older siblings.

The security prospects were already a nightmare, but there were also some unique issues when young people were placed in that kind of position, and he didn't look forward to the kids dealing with their problems in his class.

And then there was the brat who was the host, and Iruka felt bad for him and hated him and hated himself for hating him. Mostly he didn't want to deal with the kid at all. But he wasn't the type to shirk his duties, which was probably why he so often ended up with said duties.

The entrance ceremony had gone off without a hitch, kids had been herded in the class and in their seats, and Iruka was ready. He had perfected his smile – kind but firm – and rustled the forms he would get the kids to fill after they inevitably lost interest in his welcoming speech.

Before he could begin, Naruto climbed on top of his desk.

Iruka froze, as the rest of the class watched with incredulous fascination. There were horrified whispers, some of them admiring Naruto's gall. A little boy who Iruka tentatively identified as an Uchiha planted his palm against his forehead.

Naruto didn't pay attention. He threw his hands wide, and beamed. "Hello, everyone! This here is Iruka-sensei, who is the best teacher in the world. But I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and I will – no, all of  _us_  will one day change the world. I want you to join me! Let's bring peace to the world together!"

Iruka did not give in to his desire to hit his head against the desk, but it was a close call.

The Uchiha-looking boy groaned, and stood up. "I'm... with this idiot," he said with a manner that suggested he had just revealed an embarrassing secret.

There was a brief silence before Hyuuga Hinata, a quiet girl with blazing embers in her cloud-white eyes, stood up and threw her hand in the air.

"I will join you," she declared.

It only went downhill from there.

 

......

_Hokage's office, lunchtime_

......

 

The third Hokage had expected to hear from Iruka. He was, after all, always interested in how the future generations of Konoha were coming along. And this was the year Naruto would enter.

He had  _not_  expected to see Iruka before the lunch hour was over. The teacher looked like someone who had had his world turned around a few times, and shaken, too, for a good measure.

"Iruka," the Hokage said calmly, puffing his pipe and putting down the reports of Orochimaru allegedly facing a paternity lawsuit in the Daimyo's court. "How is your new class?"

"Uzumaki Naruto recruited half of the class into a campaign allegely aiming for world peace. I took him aside to explain some things about proper behaviour in class, and ended up talking about my parents and crying. He also hit me over head with his staff."

For the first time in years, Hiruzen found himself speechless.

 

......

_The home of Sasuke's family, after dinner_

......

 

Itachi watched his brother do his homework. He didn't seem to need any help, Itachi was merely curious.

He had expected Sasuke to be excited about his first day in school, to prattle about what he had done, and possibly complain about girls. Instead, Sasuke carried the air of frustrated determination.

"You might as well ask," Sasuke said petulantly. He tried to glare at his brother, but it came out pouty. Itachi tried not to smile.

He sat down next to Sasuke, and poked his forehead. "What happened?"

"Naruto went and recruited half the class before lunch. He's such an idiot! I mean, I gotta admit he's good at what he does, but we're not ready! And he dragged all the idiots in class into it. If the girls are not going to annoy me to death, Kiba will."

Itachi blinked. He had known Sasuke had made friends with the blond kid, and had been glad. Now, he rather wished he'd paid attention to what the two actually  _did_  all those times they went off somewhere together.

"Ready for what?"

"World peace. And revolution of the ninja system. Whichever happens first," Sasuke said, with the kind of voice that suggested he knew how ridiculous most people would find the idea but was still ready to defend it.

"I… see. That is a very grand goal. How did that come about?"

"He said he picked me because he doesn't want to repeat the mistakes of the past. See, long time ago there was this Sage and his sons were the ancestors of the Uchiha and Senju and had a stupid fight, and we're going to fix it."

Itachi was both celebrated as a genius, and isolated for it. But he had also been traumatised by war, and so he had studied history to understand. Hours and hours of faded old scrolls, trying to get to the truth through bias and propaganda.

And Sasuke had just casually dropped a fact he'd taken months to discover. There was little to be found about the sage in the best of times, and information about his sons was also curiously scarce. As if someone had taken the trouble to erase it all. But there were limits to paranoia, so he had tried to shake the feeling.

"The ancestors… Sasuke, tell me what Naruto told you. Everything."

Sasuke blinked, and a slow smile grew on his face. He instantly forgave Naruto for being an idiot.

Because, well, never had he  _ever_  known anything before Itachi.

 

......

 

When he finished the tale, Itachi was quiet. Sasuke fidgeted. Had he told it wrong? Naruto had made so much  _sense_ , but then, his friend was the kind of person who could convince you to sell your firstborn.

It wasn't like he had a silver tongue, not really. It had more to do with being  _real_ , and even at this age Sasuke understood as much. Naruto meant every word he said.

Then, Itachi leaned forward and ruffled Sasuke's hair. "That was very interesting. Thank you for telling me, little brother."

Sasuke beamed. Itachi smiled, and wondered.

_Uzumaki Naruto… who are you?_

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel bad for keeping everyone waiting for so long, when the chapters of this story are ultimately written in two or three days of effort. It's weird. I can't come up with anything for weeks and then everything is written at once. Probably explains a lot about the story as a whole, really.
> 
> As usual, I'm not exactly happy with how this turned out, but I want to finish this story sometime this decade. I can't just sit on one chapter for half a year to make sure it appeases my sensibilities.
> 
> I can't see Naruto not trying to include Sasuke, what with all that went down in canon. I also have every intention to avoid the plot tumour that happened to Sasuke, but some of the same issues will have to be there. The Uchiha situation is so hairy I can't just brush it under the table like I did with the Hyuuga. (In the end, I always thought that the will to change the caste system was already there. Hiashi did end up teaching Neji main branch techniques, that sort of thing.)
> 
> There will be no pairings in this story. I haven't much cared for shipping in a long time, and I especially don't care how the epilogue presented everyone married with kids (and obviously unhappy with their lives as far as I can tell). There were so many more important things to show us, and all of them ignored for the sake of babies.


	5. Inevitable tragedy

 

......

_The ninja academy, Konoha, recess (three years after Naruto's temporal displacement)_

......

 

Sasuke had always known there was something weird about Naruto.

Most of the time he was a bright, obnoxious, charming annoyance. Then there were the times when he seemed far too old for his skin. Best friend or not, there were still things Naruto didn't tell him. But that was okay. He could tell Naruto wanted to.

This was one of those times.

And there was something weird about the new kid, too. Sai was pale and thin, and spoke so little Sasuke had thought he was mute for the first half of the day. He watched, though. He watched everything with big, blank eyes. It was unsettling.

Whatever it was, Naruto seemed to know about it. He had that serious look, like he was decades older than his flesh and had already seen the worst the world had to offer by the tender age of six.

Then, it was over, and he put on his usual grin. "So, you wanna join us? Okay! But you gotta understand what we're all about."

"World peace?" Sai asked uncertainly.

"Yeah, yeah, but it's not that simple," Naruto said. "We're gonna break the circle of hate the ninja world has going on. So we can't just kill people because they get in our way. We gotta make friends with the enemy."

Naruto's eyes were sharp, Sasuke thought. Something was going on.

"But, that's foolish," Sai said. He sounded confused. "The world isn't such an idealistic place. If we do not strike first, the enemy surely will."

Ah. There it was, the undercurrent Naruto had inexplicably known of. Sasuke opened his mouth –

"Are you stupid?" Ino demanded, hands settled on her hips. Her scowl was familiar, and Sasuke took a step back before he caught up with the ancient instincts of his brain.

"That's just cowardice," she declared. "If you just hit first because you're afraid you'll get hit, you're no better than a bully."

"Yeah," said Sakura. "We can't change the world if we're cowards."

Shikamaru yawned, from his post leaning against the tree. "This situation has remained the same for hundreds of years," he said, sounding like he considered every word to be too much effort. "Something unconventional is more likely to work than keeping up the same pattern."

"Konoha was born because the Senju and the Uchiha were able to put old enmities away," Hinata said, her words silk hiding steel.

Sai looked a little overwhelmed, faced with disapproval from every direction. He backed away, looking for support that wouldn't come. Sasuke glanced at Naruto, who really should have stepped in by now. But Naruto had that faraway look again.

"He's new," Sasuke declared. "Give him some slack. He'll learn."

"Yeah," Kiba said. He was bouncing on his heels, hands folded behind his head. "We're missing recess! Let's play."

"What should we play?" asked Chouji. Crumbs fell on Tenten, who sat next to him. She made a face at him.

"Ninja!"

"We always play ninja."

"Yeah, but what else is there?"

"We could try samurai."

"What do samurai even do? Stand in a row wearing metal cans?"

Sasuke relaxed. He turned back to Naruto and nudged at him with his elbow.

"Hey," he said quietly. "What's wrong?"

Naruto flinched. He'd clearly been miles away. "What? What's what?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "You're distracted. What's going on?"

Naruto grimaced. "Tell you later. It's not safe here."

"What – "

"Oi! Naruto! Are you listening to me?"

The moment was lost. Naruto and Sasuke looked at the others, who seemed to be in the middle of planning a game with an increasingly convoluted plotline. Ino looked impatient.

"We still need a princess, but no one wants to be rescued! We tried to throw dice but everyone cheated. Since you're the leader, you decide."

Naruto blinked. He looked like a man driven to a corner. "Uh, I… I don't know? It's all the same, isn't it? Who has the longest hair?"

"Neji-niisan," Hinata said immediately. The others turned to him with a calculating manner, just as his eyes widened with panic at the sudden turn of events.

"Now, wait a minute…!"

 

......

_On the road leading to the academy, Konoha, late afternoon_

......

 

Itachi had volunteered to fetch Sasuke from the academy. A casual observer would not have thought much of this. Itachi, however, had his reasons.

It had turned out to be surprisingly difficult to get a hold of Sasuke's new friend. His little brother had reported a surprising variety of excuses to escape every invitation to visit their home. Trying to outright find him had proven just as difficult. For a six year old child, Naruto was as slippery as an eel. If Itachi didn't know better, he'd have thought Naruto could sense him coming.

He wasn't sure what more he could do. This wasn't, exactly, a sanctified mission. Just personal curiosity.

"Why are you trying so hard to avoid my brother, anyway? He just wants to see you!" Sasuke's frustrated voice carried over. As soon as Itachi walked around the corner, dread stole across Naruto's face like an incoming tide.

"There you are, little brother," Itachi said and smiled gently at both children. This did not have the effect he had hoped for. Naruto tried to scuttle backwards without making it obvious he was moving.

"You must be Naruto-kun," Itachi tried again. "I'm glad to finally meet you. Sasuke has told me a lot about you."

And yes, that was unmistakeable panic. Naruto looked ready to bolt at the first threatening motion. It was time to lay the trap while he still could, and hope his little brother would lure Naruto in.

"I was hoping you might join us for a dinner tonight. Mother said she would be glad to have you over."

"R-really? She said that?" There was incredulous hope in his voice, as though the very idea that someone wanted him around was something remarkable.

"If it gets bad, I'll pretend I have stomach-ache," Sasuke said. Itachi couldn't tell what was shared between the two boys, but whatever it was, Naruto relaxed.

"Yeah, okay. I'll come. Just, let me go home and change first."

He grinned awkwardly and flapped at the slowly unravelling tail of his robe. His staff jingled, metal rings glinting in the sunlight.

And Itachi frowned.

He recognised that staff.

 

......

 _The Uchiha district,_   _Konoha, early evening_

......

 

Naruto was not especially familiar with the Uchiha district. It had been the haunted place of Konoha, avoided as though it was cursed, and there had been an occasion he had hid in the abandoned houses after a prank. But something about the blanket of dust over the furniture and windows creaking in the wind had made the little hairs in his neck stand up.

It was, somehow, almost more jarring to see the place alive.

He didn't have a choice, though. Sasuke pulled him along, determined to get him to visit his home. Naruto didn't see what the big deal was; he'd only tried to escape five times.

And the lie he told himself was this: his reluctance had nothing to do with having to acknowledge that Sasuke's family were, in fact, real people.

He'd created an image of them, once upon a time, when he had heard of what had happened to Sasuke's family. And those imaginary people were also who he had tried to protect over the years. They were policemen whose faces he forgot, and people whom he saw far away. He hadn't gotten to know them.

Because the stakes were always so much higher up and close.

"Dinner won't be done yet," said Sasuke. "Let's get some senbei."

The look he gave Naruto said that he had not forgotten the way Naruto had dodged the topic of Sai.

(And it wasn't like Naruto didn't  _want_  to tell, but there were so many ways the story could derail into the topic of 'also, I'm from the future'. He had no idea how to even approach that.)

"Well, aren't you serious young men," said the cheerful old lady behind the counter. "Would you like some senbei? Take a break from schoolwork?"

"Yes," Sasuke said imperiously. He paid and received the snacks, while Naruto tried to dodge a hair ruffle from the old man.

"So, spill it," Sasuke said, once they were out of earshot. "I know there's a lot you don't tell me, but if Sai is going to hang out with us, I gotta know."

"Sai is… from the darkness of Konoha," Naruto said reluctantly. "There's some people in this village who won't agree with what we're doing. Though mostly, it's just this one guy. And whatever you do, don't ever say any of this to anyone else."

He wondered if he would regret these words later. But there as already so much he should have told Sasuke and hadn't.

 

......

_Sasuke's house, Konoha, dinner time_

......

 

Dinner was just as awkward as Naruto had feared. It wasn't like anyone was unfriendly, but Fugaku was so absorbed in some sort of grumpy thought he kind of radiated bad mood all over the room. And Mikoto just looked at him and smiled sadly, and he couldn't figure out why, because he'd never seen the woman before in either of his lives.

Naruto supposed it was a step up; even though it was still bad, because he tried so hard not to feel bad for himself. Pity from others kind of felt like they were trying to drag him down, back to that dark place he'd spent long years clawing out of.

And then there was Itachi, who was probably some sort of paragon of kindness, but Naruto had still refused to look his way.

It wasn't like he hated Itachi, he just… didn't really know what else he felt. Naruto had used every ounce of his escape moves to avoid him for months, now. It was easier than when he was Asura, because Itachi didn't seem to take him seriously, but still nerve-wrecking. Why was he so interested in Naruto anyway?

The silence might have been comfortable for the others, for all he knew, but Naruto was suffocating in it. So, to escape it, he smiled so wide his cheeks hurt and spoke, and what came out of his mouth was the stream of his thoughts.

"Anyway, this food is great, Mikoto-san! I don't think I ever ate anyone's mom's cooking before. I mean, Fujimoto-san at the orphanage was a mother, probably, but I'm not sure if the food she made was supposed to be fed to humans or used to plaster the walls. We got told to be grateful for it, and I guess it was a great bait for frogs? At least I caught tons and put them in her bathtub and then we all had to go to bed without supper. Everyone liked me that day…"

And he remembered too late why it was a bad idea to let his mouth run off on its own.

Because it did hurt, watching Sasuke interact with his family. Some deep-buried jealousy mixed with a phantom dread. These were dead people alive, ghosts of flesh and blood and bone.

The silence that fell after he managed to shut up was definitely from the uncomfortable end of the spectrum.

 

......

 

Naruto had thought he'd be able to escape Itachi's curious stare after the dinner. However, his downfall struck from an unexpected direction.

"Sasuke, wait. There is something I want to tell you," Mikoto said. Sasuke glanced at Naruto, shrugged, and went to his mother.

Naruto was left in the hallway with Itachi, feeling a lot like someone had just pulled a rug from under his feet. He wondered who it was that had it in for him, and if there was any way to take revenge. Maybe the other version of Sasuke had been onto  _something_ , after all.

 

......

 

"Sasuke, have adults tried to stop you from being Naruto's friend?"

Sasuke frowned at his mother. There was that weird look in her eyes, the one adults always got when the topic of Naruto came up.

"Some. But I didn't listen." Sasuke stood imperiously. He would defy her, too, if it came to that. Of course he would. He wasn't the sort of person who couldn't stand up to their family. Absolutely.

Only, he really really  _really_  didn't want to actually have to do it. His mother smiled, as though she could see right through him.

"Good. Don't let them. I think… I think that boy needs a friend," Mikoto said. Melancholy crept into her voice. "He reminds me of someone I used to know... I think this is good for you, too. It is difficult, to be the younger son. Whatever Fugaku says, I want you to be Sasuke. You shouldn't be just like your brother, you should be  _you_ …"

Sasuke's mother smiled, and suddenly he noticed how the kitchen was golden and warm in the light of the setting sun. His mother pulled him into her arms, and he smelled the faint scent of lilac in her hair. Sasuke smiled and held fast.

And, for this one fleeting moment, all was well.

 

......

 

Meanwhile, Naruto found that it was near impossible to ignore a person when they stared at you with unending patience. He made a valiant effort anyway.

"Naruto-kun, it's all right," Itachi eventually said. "I  _know_ _._ " The words were as gentle and kind as ever, but sounded like a death sentence anyway. Naruto's skin bristled in gooseflesh, the thin little hairs of the nape of his neck standing up.

"What?" he hissed defensively. "You can't prove anything anyway!"

Well, if there was ever a listing of incriminating statements, that one must have won some prices. Against his better judgement, Naruto tried again.

"And anyway, you haven't even told me what you know. There's a lot of things you might know! Or not."

Well, he was on a  _roll_  today. No one could say Uzumaki Naruto was not capable of digging his own grave with a few well-placed sentences. Somewhere in the recesses of the part of his mind that was not his own but shared, Kurama was laughing.

Itachi lifted his hands in what was probably supposed to be a soothing gesture. "Please, calm down. I am not accusing you of doing anything horrible. It must be difficult, not having parents. I can understand."

… _What_?

 _What_ , repeated Kurama flatly.

"What?" Naruto said. Whatever had it out for him wasn't pulling any punches today. He had no idea what Itachi was going on about.

Itachi tapped a fingernail against the brass of his staff. "I recognise this," he said. "I imagine he entrusted you with it? The Uzumaki are scattered to the four winds, he must have been glad to find a relative. I cannot imagine what it is like, having no village and no family…"

Naruto tried very hard not to make a weird face at this. Itachi didn't seem to notice anything and continued.

"You need not fear. Despite what the higher-ups think, I believe Asura is a good person. I will keep this information to myself."

"Uh, yeah," Naruto said quickly, feeling beads of sweat trail down his neck. "You got me. That's definitely what happened. Thanks for understanding."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. Naruto cursed himself. Everything was a thousand times more complicated when Itachi was involved.

Thankfully, that was when Sasuke chose to enter the room.

 

......

_The secret meeting room, Naka shrine, late evening (four years after Naruto's temporal displacement)_

......

 

There was definitely a lot of negative energy in the room, but it had little to do with badly designed orientation of structure and everything about a group of elderly people seething in outrage.

"This is an insult," one of the elders hissed. He was so wrinkled he resembled a bald prune. "To think we would not notice!"

"Perhaps we are jumping to conclusions," Fugaku offered tiredly.

"If he did not work for them, how could he still remain at large?" said an elderly lady, who looked like she had never once in her life let her hair down, figuratively or literally. "Four years, and nothing!"

"Everything he has done has been to the benefit of Konoha, directly or indirectly," pointed out the eldest of the elders, who looked like he had mummified somewhere along the line. "Do we forget, that he saved the heir of the Hyuuga and allowed Konoha to gain an upper hand in the peace negotiations with Kumo?"

"It is one thing to suspect us of treason and fear us, but this? This shows the rest of Konoha does not even respect us," said the last elder sadly. She smoothed her impeccably folded kimono and folded her hands over it.

Fugaku pinched at the bridge of his nose. He thought of his youngest son, playing with the child of the man who had been the fourth Hokage. Then he thought of his eldest, walking hand in hand with the red-headed menace. He made a decision he suspected he would regret.

"Very well. I will give Shisui his orders."

One after the other, the elders climbed to their feet and left the room. Long after they were gone, a man wearing a mask stepped out of the shadows, stretched his limbs and disappeared through a spiralling void.

 

......

_A secret spot along the Naka river, Konoha, afternoon_

......

 

"They're planning  _what_?" Itachi asked. His voice was low in the sort of way that was the least likely to gather attention. People could be trained to hear a whisper, because it was a voice drained of its colour and stood out against the background.  _This_  voice was the drab grey and brown of the world of sounds.

Shisui shook his head. There was a hint of worry in the corner of his eyes and the way the corners of his lips were pursed.

"I don't know," he said. "It's  _something_. They seem to be convinced Asura works for Konoha."

Itachi thought of the man, his awkward grin and honest good will. "He does not," he said. "Not in the usual sense. He isn't an enemy, but his terms are his own."

"I don't suppose he would tone down the pranks if you asked? It's mostly just a bunch of old men who are still set against the village. The rest should be placated if they don't have to run off their feet all the time."

"Perhaps," Itachi allowed. "I'm sure you and I can deal with a group of old men."

Asura had given the impression that he had wanted to help, but… Itachi had seen the signs of stress, the way it dug lines into Asura's forehead and painted black circles under his eyes.

There was no need to get him mixed in this mess any further.

 

......

_Ichiraku ramen, lunchtime (five years after Naruto's temporal displacement)_

......

 

"You have been stressed, lately," Hiashi said. "Curious, considering that you have not seen it fit to enliven the daily life of Konoha in some time."

"Orochimaru didn't like the rumours about him having unsightly affections for a goat," Asura offered gloomily. "It's been tough getting about outside Konoha. He keeps trying to kill me, and I can't get anything done."

"Who would have thought?" Hiashi said dryly. He had known Asura for years now, and somewhere along the line he had found that he did, in fact, have a sense of humour. Unfortunately, people tended to think he was an impostor every time he so much as chuckled.

"Nevertheless, this attitude of yours worries me. I have said this, many times. It is not wise to bait one such as Orochimaru."

"It's fine, Hiashi-san. I don't have a village anymore. No one will miss me, if something goes wrong."

"Truly?" Hiashi asked quietly. "No one? You assume a great deal."

Asura caught the look in his eyes and cringed in shame.

"Sorry."

Silence extended for miles, until the space between two seats in a ramen stall was as wide as the village and infinitely more lonely.

Hiashi waited. Asura never took well to silence. He usually felt the need to fill it with words.

"People used to rely on me a lot," Asura eventually said. "So it's difficult to stop throwing myself at every threat straight away. Because it always  _worked_. But this time…"

"You are expecting something to happen?"

"Mm, not exactly. More like, I'm dreading something that  _might_  happen. Only everything seems to be fine, and I can't shake this feeling that I'm in the eye of the storm. Things aren't supposed to go so  _smoothly_."

Hiashi hesitated, then laid a hand on Asura's shoulder. Asura was so tense he could feel the strain, a slight tremor under his palm.

"Perhaps this bears repetition," he said. "My door will be open, should you need me."

Asura gave him a wan smile. "Thanks, Hiashi-san."

He stood and left, red hair trailing behind listlessly. Hiashi peered into Asura's ramen bowl. There was broth left on the bottom.

That was never a good sign.

 

......

_A certain room in the darkness under Konoha, unknown time_

......

 

"You are certain they are plotting against the village, then," Danzo said idly. He sounded like he didn't care for the confirmation, and merely asked to allow for pretence of politeness. Words were as good as knives if you knew where to stab, but there was a time and place.

Danzo did not know this man, but he suspected, and, for now, there were other concerns. Even an enemy could serve a purpose.

"Definitely," said the man in the mask. "The Uchiha believe the… irregularity… is under the orders of the Hokage. They consider this an insult and a lack of respect."

"I see. What of Shisui? The Hokage believes him loyal to the village."

"I would not trust him. He has not shown signs of betrayal, but he is close to Itachi. And neither of us can predict what would happen if 'Asura' were to get involved."

Poisonous contempt flickered over Danzo's single visible eye. Then, it was gone and his eye was once more a featureless void. There was no hope for sympathy to be found in its depths, which was the darkness under roots deep in the earth. A darkness that had never scuttled away from sunlight.

The man who called himself Tobi left, melting into the shadows. On Danzo's desk were reports of weapon imports, and hastily-copied and very illegal transcripts of upcoming mission rosters. They were the sort of thing he needed in order to argue the case he wanted to argue.

Assuming they were real, of course. But Danzo was certain he knew the truth and saw more clearly than the Hokage. The veracity of these particular papers was not so important in the grand scheme of things.

He knew that the truth was relative. There was the trivial surface truth, which, admittedly, may have been objectively true  _right now_ … but there was also the fundamental truth, which may have  _looked_  like a lie on the surface of it, but was deeper and truer when you considered the forest and not just the trees.

A truth that was true on both accounts was this: Danzo was not stuck in the past so much as he had brought the past with him to the present. Many things festered in the darkness of Konoha, and he tended to them and watched them grow.

 

......

_Hokage's office, one hour past midnight (several weeks later)_

......

 

"Can you say for certain that they are  _not_  planning a coup?" the third Hokage asked wearily.

Shisui was forced to shake his head. "No, I cannot. I cannot deny that they are planning  _something_. They are reluctant to tell me too much, for the fear I will tell Itachi. But, Hokage-sama, surely you cannot rely on this… this source Danzo refuses to reveal!"

"I admit," the Hokage said, "that Danzo more likely than not has his own agenda. But he has always put the good of the village above everything else. He knows, just as you and I know, that we cannot afford a civil war."

There was steel in his eyes, forged and tempered by war. Shisui swallowed, and forced himself not to look away.

"Grant me time. With these eyes, I will make everyone see reason."

The Hokage nodded. "Very well. I wish you luck. Remember what is at stake."

 _As if I could forget_ , Shisui thought as he flickered away. The thought was bitter and hateful, and he forced it down. Hate would not help him here. It would not help him anywhere.

 

......

_A particularly uninteresting rooftop, Konoha, fifteen minutes later_

......

 

"What do you think?" Shisui asked. "Will he help us?"

Itachi grimaced softly. "I believe he will. Only, Asura… I find that it is exceedingly difficult to follow his thought process. There was a time when I greeted him and he asked whether or not I thought he smelled of cabbage."

"Why would he?" Shisui asked, eyebrow raised in confusion. "He's not a clan elder."

"…No, he is not," Itachi said. He sounded weary in a way that suggested he both did and did not want to ask.

"In any case, I think we  _need_  an ally who can think outside the box," Shisui said. "You go find Asura. I'll… I'll go to Danzo. Something about this all rubs me wrong. What kind of source does he have, that we don't know of it? I think… we cannot wait. We must act today."

"I agree. Good luck, Shisui."

"I'll need it. The place is a viper's nest."

They leaped off the roof. Minutes passed. Then, one of the shadows moved. Had there been enough light to see, it might have looked like a white face on the surface of the stone.

Soon, it was gone.

 

......

_Naruto's apartment, five minutes later_

......

 

Itachi was likely the only person in Konoha who could consistently find Asura when he didn't want to be found. But there were still days when the man simply was not  _there_ , anywhere, and Itachi didn't  _have_  days.

And so, his best bet was the person who was Asura's kin.

"Naruto-kun," he whispered. He made to lay a hand on top of a blanket-covered shoulder and thought better for it. Naruto wasn't Sasuke and it was best not to assume, even if something about Naruto's thin frame tugged at Itachi's fraternal instincts.

And, as expected of a ninja-in-training, the whisper was enough for Naruto to stir awake.

"H-huh? Wha? …Itachi? What's wrong?"

Naruto went from sleepy confusion to concern in the span of seconds. He sat up in the bed, blankets bunched in his lap. Sleep had drained from his eyes, replaced by an alert glint.

"I must find Asura," Itachi said. "Can you tell me where he is? This is urgent."

"Yeah, I kind of figured. You don't usually make a habit of breaking into my room," Naruto said. There was something peculiar about the way he said it, but this was hardly the time.

"I, uh, give me a moment," Naruto continued, and pointed his thumb at an inconspicuous door on the other side of the room. "He's, he's actually here. Today. I'll just, um, go and fetch him?"

Itachi sighed in relief. "Please do. Thank you, Naruto-kun."

He waited, as Naruto scampered through the door and shut it behind himself. There was a clang and the sound of muffled speech and rustling fabric. Then, the door opened and Asura stumbled out, looking ruffled and his worried expression so much like Naruto's that Itachi had to smile at the family resemblance.

"You need me?"

Itachi glanced at the small, blond form of Naruto. He was just about as tall as Sasuke was, and his knees were still knobby and his cheeks still chubby.

"There is no need to get Naruto-kun involved."

"But I can help! I could get the ANBU guys off your back," Naruto volunteered.

"That's…" Itachi started, and words of refusal were already lined up on his tongue when Asura interrupted him.

"Thanks! That would help a lot," he said.

Naruto grinned and went about clambering out of the window. Itachi gave Asura a disapproving look.

"Look, he won't be in danger," the man said, lifting his hands defensively. "Kids do dumb things like that all the time. They'll just follow him and keep him safe. And you said we had to hurry."

"True," Itachi admitted. "The situation is… not good. Danzo has claimed to have found incriminating evidence of my family planning a coup. The Hokage gave us time to attempt to find an alternative solution, but we both thought that something about this situation does not feel right."

Asura's eyes widened. He turned to look at the direction where, behind a wall and beyond rooftops, the Uchiha district had settled down for the night.

And then, everything went wrong at once.

Asura flinched, and all colour drained off his face until it was paper-white. He sucked in a breath that was raw and sharp and short.

In that split second, the bottom lid fell off the world and there was nothing beneath Itachi's feet. He didn't have time to ask, before Asura was gone in a flash of bright light. He was left alone, blood freezing in his veins and bitter terror sliding down his throat.

The open window creaked sadly, adrift in the draft. The night outside was as black as the void, as though there was no light left in the world.

 

......

_Sasuke's room, Uchiha district_

......

 

Sasuke woke to the sound of something dripping.  _Tap, tap, tap_ , like the sound of rain against the window.

 _Teru teru bozu, teru bozu_ , his mother had sung to him.

_Do make tomorrow a sunny day_

They had made paper dolls, and hung them next to the window. Had the sun come out? He couldn't remember.

Sasuke turned in the bed, still sleepy, and through the small crack between the door and the door frame he saw a tall figure. It wore a mask. A sense of wrongness dawned on Sasuke, creeping around the corners of his mind like a cold mist. Why was there an ANBU in his home?

_Tap, tap, tap_

Something dripped on the floor, dribbling down the blade held by the figure. There were slumped forms on the floor behind it.

And panic washed over him, like a bucketful of icy water. The remains of sleep fled.

_Like the sky in a dream sometime_

This was not a dream but a nightmare, and it was blood that rained on the floors of his home. Fingers trembling, Sasuke climbed through the window as silently as he could. There are few things as powerful as survival instinct, and fear had come too quickly and violently for him to think.

Sasuke didn't hear the nightmare follow but, then, monsters were always silent. He crept through bushes and shadows, along the streets of his home. His feet were wet and sticky. He could hear distant, muffled screams. Somewhere, a baby was crying. The air smelled of rust.

And thoughts of his family crowded in the back of his mind, memories and love and duty slowly wearing away at the ancient instinct that had made him run, to preserve his own life.

But, for now, he could only run.

 _If it is sunny, I will give you a golden bell_ , sang his mother's voice in his memories.

There was blood at the shrine, too. It dribbled down the great bell, making puddles on the floor. Sasuke slipped and fell on his behind.

He looked up, and saw the face of the nightmare. It was bent over him, white mask splattered with carmine.

He didn't want to die, he wanted to live. But he couldn't move, watching as though in a dream as the nightmare reached for him.

And then, something collided with it and bowled it over.

Sasuke turned his head, and saw a splash of blond and orange.  _Naruto_. What was he doing, getting mixed up in this? He was going to die.

_Naruto was going to die._

The thought broke through the blind panic that had pulled him along like a puppet. And the world was crimson and white and black, and suddenly he saw everything so clearly he felt like he had walked his entire life in a haze. Every edge of the world was razor sharp.

Sasuke struggled to his feet, and wrapped his fingers in a familiar seal just as the man in a mask sent Naruto flying. He didn't pay attention to Sasuke, and he moved so very slowly, as though they were all submerged in water.

He breathed, and his breath was fire, and suddenly the air of the temple smelled of charred flesh. Blood bubbled and boiled and made black stains on the golden bell.

_Teru teru bozu, teru bozu_

_Do make tomorrow a sunny day_

_If the clouds are still crying_

_I shall snip your head off_

 

......

_A rooftop, Uchiha district_

......

 

It was too late.

There were corpses scattered on the streets, limp like those dolls stuffed with sawdust, because death had not yet frozen their flesh. And it was too late, too late, for life was gone and their warmth was waning. The echo of their terror clung to the streets like a funeral shroud.

Asura gnawed into his lip, canines chewing flesh into ribbons. And he could feel himself healing, always healing, and seconds later there was nothing but blood. Because  _he_  was alive.

He had  _failed_.

The thought was a knot in his heart, so cold it burned, and all the things he and others had expected of himself weighed in his stomach like lead.

Failed, failed, failed. Failed to protect Sasuke's family. Failed to protect people who were no longer an  _idea_  of people, but people he knew.

The old couple, who had sold him and Sasuke senbei. They, too, were dead.

Sasuke's parents were dead.

And he didn't know where _Sasuke_ was –

 _No_ , Kurama snapped urgently.  _It's not too late! That is not an echo! Some are still alive!_

_What? Why?_

_This was not Itachi's doing_ , Kurama said.  _And we have an idea of what sort of man Danzo is._

_Yes. I suppose we do._

The thing was.

Over the years, he had learned about the people who thought they watched his every move. It had not been a conscious effort, but the machinery of the human mind is geared to look for patterns. He couldn't help but notice.

The Root agents were different from the usual ANBU. It was not a comparative lack of emotions, either, no matter what Sai had once told him. Instead, there was a vague sense of illness that clung to the people of the Root, a shroud of guilt that caught onto their raw places. They could not quite suppress every emotion, and this knowledge secretly ate at each and every one of them.

Danzo saw people as things. And now he intended to take the children, as though scavenging the spoils of war from the loser.

How dare he? How  _dare_  he?

A rare hate sparked into life in his heart, and Kurama's chakra flared in response. As if on cue, a tall form wearing a mask stepped out of a house. It was carrying a small bundle.

Asura leaped, and golden chakra flared like a beacon.

 

......

 

Itachi arrived to find the streets of his home empty, except for the golden flashes of chakra and the screams of the children. Remnants of some great well of chakra curled around him.

He stopped one of the glowing clones of Asura, as it gently lifted a small child into its arms. On the ground, a masked figure bled out the last of his life.

"Itachi," the clone said breathlessly, its voice tired and relieved all at once. "Sasuke and Naruto are at the temple."

Itachi nodded. He didn't think he could speak. There was something stuck in his throat that didn't want to go down. Already, he could feel thoughts crowding at the back of his mind. They were bitter and hateful, and blamed him for spending the time his family had needed on idle chatter.

But  _Sasuke_  was alive. He held onto that thought with the desperation of a drowning man, and took off for the temple. Behind him, Asura's light flickered like the very final spark of hope.

 

......

 

Some part of Asura wondered if this wasn't the war all over again, and he had only dreamed up the last four years. There was the same blood and the same stench of death, and everywhere he felt the echo of despair. An old reality, emerged from underneath the illusion like some sort of great animal that clambers onto the shore to die.

He had saved the children, though.

What was that worth? Something, surely? A pittance, perhaps, or a shred of redemption?

But some of the carnage was his own doing, and he had never stained his hands in blood like this.

He was sure he had probably killed in the past. At least, he had left people in a condition that might have cost their lives later, bleeding out what was left of their time in a hospital bed.

But never, never like this.

 _This isn't over_ , Kurama snapped at him. _Not yet._

_What do you mean? I… very likely killed the Root people. Are there still more enemies?_

_Their eyes,_ Kurama hissed. His voice was full of old rage, the sort that stains your mind like dry blood. _I will not suffer for anyone to take the Sharingan eyes. You will destroy them._

And Kurama's anger leaked to him through the place where their minds were connected. Asura halted, and looked at the carnage around him. Adrenaline had drained, and he was tired in a way he had not felt in… almost exactly five years. He picked up a discarded katana. His hand trembled.

He understood, he really did, and it really  _had_  been such a bother when everyone and their uncle seemed to have an unending supply of eyeballs, but –

He was  _so_  tired of all the blood.

He could feel Kurama's silence as though it was a living thing.

… _Tell you what, I'll do it_ , Kurama said. His voice was softer now, in a way that was almost friendly.  _I don't mind the chance to stab out a few dozen Sharingan._

Asura had never been so glad to let go of himself, in either one of his lives.

 

......

 

Itachi found his brother hobbling down the stairs of the temple, hand in hand with Naruto. There was blood all over their clothes and shadows in their eyes. In one night, the two children seemed to have aged decades.

Itachi lifted both of them into his arms and leaped over a house and a wall, away from the death and towards the hospital. Naruto clung to his arm like a limpet, in a manner that said he wasn't used to being carried. Sasuke wrapped his arms around Itachi's neck, and soon something hot and wet trailed down his collarbones. Itachi burrowed his nose into the inky black of his brother's hair, and listened to his jagged, broken sobs with equal parts of sorrow and relief.

The future seemed uncertain, a quagmire of possibilities and consequences. But here and now, they were alive.

 

......

 

When the last tendrils of Kurama's influence drew away from his limbs, Asura became aware that he had an audience. He turned to look.

The cavalry had finally arrived, in the form of a group of Jounin and legitimate ANBU. They all remained perfectly still. Asura didn't move, either. This was one of those frozen moments when the calculating part of the brain takes over the work that was usually assigned to reflexes, and action grinds to a halt.

In the heavy silence created by many people actively being quiet, the  _tap tap tap_  of blood dropping on the ground was unbearably loud.

And, slowly, Asura took notice of the corpses, and how he stood in the middle of the carnage, drenched in carmine blood and holding onto a blood-stained katana.

"…Well, crap."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While the extermination of a clan is not a subject I could joke about, I didn’t quite expect this chapter to end up so morbid and dark as it did. I’m not really happy about the mood whiplash, but there it is. And the events of this chapter are important in many ways. A turning point in the story, so to say.
> 
> There is a reason Danzo went so blatantly against the Hokage’s wishes and why he thought he would get away with it. That will be revealed in the next chapter, but I think quite a few of you will be able to guess correctly. 
> 
> The reason Itachi can track down Asura but not Naruto is mainly psychological on both sides. Itachi takes Asura far more seriously than Naruto, who is supposed to be just a slightly weird academy student. Also, Naruto actually doesn’t take nearly as much care when he’s ‘Asura’, because it’s just his alias. Doesn’t matter if someone finds him. He can just poof away, and problem solved. There may be something mistaken in this logic, when you think about it carefully.


	6. Paths not taken

 

_......_

_Uchiha district, Konoha, slightly after the incident_

......

 

Asura lifted his hands defensively, realised they were dripping with blood, and hastily wiped them on his robe. The faces of the crowd grew slightly stonier.

"Okay, look," he said. "I  _know_  it looks bad, but – "

" _Bad_?" said someone. "You stand there, covered in enough blood to drown in! Are you seriously trying to  _talk_  your way out of this?"

"But… but it really wasn't me! Can't you  _see_  the suspicious fake ANBU guys?" Asura waved his hand, taking in the corpses in white armour. "I  _saved_  the children! They were trying to take them away for Danzo! Blame him, not me!"

"We  _saw_  you stab that Uchiha!"

"He was already dead! I was just making sure no one can steal his eyes!"

Asura barely managed to dodge the sword before it gave him a new, bloody nose job. He leaped back, barely avoiding yet another swing, and ended up on the roof.

"Hey! Hey, don't do that! I was talking!"

Kakashi the younger gave Asura such an icy look it should probably have frozen his innards. His sharingan was open, glaring angry red in the near darkness.

"We don't have to listen to you. The torture and interrogation will uncover the truth eventually," Kakashi said.

"But –!"

_We can't be caught here_ , said Kurama urgently. _Danzo must have the means to cover his tracks. If you want to clear your name, we need to corner him now!_

"You're right, I guess," Asura said and sagged. Kakashi blinked in surprise.

"Sorry, but… I've got things to do and places to be. I… can't be caught here."

There was a flash of light and Asura was gone. In the afterimage caused by the light, an outline of the district of corpses were burned into everyone's eyes like a photograph.

Slowly, the rivers of blood began to cool and clot into clumps.

 

_......_

_Danzo's (almost) secret hideout, a few minutes earlier_

......

 

Shisui swallowed uneasily. He had walked into a trap, had  _known_  he had walked into a trap, but he couldn't even begin to guess what shape it would take. His every muscle was wound tight with tension. He clenched his fists to stop his fingers from trembling.

Danzo's eye gleamed with avarice, he thought. It wasn't a reassuring sight.

"But most of the clan doesn't even know about it! It's just a few bitter elders – "

"Eventually, the tension between the village and your clan will escalate again. Even if you were to use your eye on Fugaku, even if the Uchiha changed… the village would not change. If the village should change, someone distrustful like me will not. Will you use your eye on me as well, when the time comes?"

…And Danzo was barely putting in the effort to appear reasonable. That was probably the worst part. 'Yeah, well, I'm not trusting you guys anyway, so there' didn't seem like the height of rhetoric. Shisui was getting the impression he shouldn't be looking forward to a long life and a peaceful retirement.

Itachi would have been so much better at this. But then  _he'd_ have been the one walking in the trap, and Shisui was glad to pay that price. Shadows suited him just fine.

And he was starting to think Danzo's suggestion had merit. Perhaps Kotoamatsukami  _would_  be better used on someone else than his clan head.

"Your sharingan… I shall be keeping it safe," Danzo said and he struck, fast as a viper and all too limber for a man of his years.

But Shisui was faster and weaved the illusion. His eye burned with the force of the suggestion, that much closer to blindness, modifying memory and twisting it. Danzo went still, looking faintly puzzled. Shisui jumped back –

And found himself punched in the stomach, then in the chest, then in the jaw. There was a worrying crack somewhere inside. He stumbled on the floor in a heap of limbs.

Air struck out of his lungs by the force of the hit, spit dribbling down his chin, he looked up at Danzo. A red eye stared back at him, its twirling kaleidoscope slowly fading into white.

_Izanagi,_  Shisui thought, mind reeling from the lack of oxygen. He can use _Izanagi_.

Danzo fisted his fingers in Shisui's hair, lifted him up in the air and –

And there was a loud swear, a flash of light, and Shisui was on the other side of the room, held up by someone much gentler than Danzo.

"Okay, what  _is_  it with you people and wanting to steal eyeballs?! Were you really just going to  _rip_  it out, too? Gross! Super gross!"

(Red hair, Shisui thought absently. A  _lot_  of hair. And red blood, drying on bright yellow robes.)

"So, it is you," Danzo said. "The so-called Asura. Have you decided to show your true colours after all? I will not allow you to harm this village."

Asura gaped. "What? Are you crazy? You've got to be crazy! You're the one murdering the people of this village, not me!"

"The Uchiha were always going to be a threat –"

"Says no one else but you!"

"' _Were'_?" Shisui whispered. Blood seeped into his clothes from where Asura was propping him up, and he hated to think of where it had come from. "Asura-san… What happened to my clan? Are they –"

Asura looked at him and made a short noise in his throat, like he had somehow only just made the connection that Shisui was, in fact, an Uchiha.

"I… I saved the kids," he said, and the words sounded like an apology and a plea all at once. "He was trying to take them away, but I at least managed that. And Itachi, he's also alive. And now you."

Shisui swallowed bitterly and shook his head, trying to get rid of the remaining vertigo. He didn't have time to mourn yet.

Danzo… probably only had the one eye to use Izanagi. Probably. Sharingan came in pairs, after all.

"Why would he risk going after my clan so openly? The Hokage agreed to let us act – "

And realisation hit him.

"You were going to use my eye," he said. "To convince the Hokage that it was his idea all along."

"I will have it yet," Danzo said. "And the other one, as well."

Something shifted, as though a fog was lifted. Suddenly, the room was full of Root agents.

"Yeah, well, unfortunately I'm here too," Asura said. "You probably noticed. And I'm really good at ruining plans. Famed for it, even."

"Your interference was unfortunate but not entirely unexpected," Danzo said. "I wonder… Why have you not attacked me yet? Perhaps you are tired after tonight's events? Or perhaps you are a shadow clone, unwilling to risk getting hit?"

" _Or_ maybe I don't want to risk losing this blackmail material I stole from your office," Asura said, pulling out a neat bunch of documents. "Your correspondence with Orochimaru. About sharingan implants, mostly.  _Disgusting_  stuff to read, by the way! The Uchiha are  _people_ , not things!"

Danzo gritted his teeth. "I am merely extracting vital information from a known traitor. Those have nothing to do with the tragic loss of one of our most venerated clans…"

"Yeah, but what if everyone in the village heard? Would they ever pick you Hokage if they knew?"

Danzo froze. So did everyone else. The silence was deafening.

"Time's wasting, Danzo- _sama_ ," said Shisui, who felt like he had caught onto the rules of the game. "You got too greedy, trying to kidnap our children. At least one or two are going to wake up and remember being put to sleep by ANBU, if I don't get there to modify their memory first. So, you let us go. You leave us alone. In exchange, we won't implicate you."

Danzo gritted his teeth, eyes sharp and calculating. "Very well. We have an agreement. For now."

The words sounded like they were thorned vine pulled off of his tongue. Asura and Shisui didn't waste time escaping.

 

_......_

_A dirty alley, the seedy side of Konoha, ten minutes later_

......

 

"He's going to start plotting against us all the moment he finishes covering up after himself," said the Uchiha guy with the pretty eyelashes. "And… I hate to say this, but he'll probably pin all the blame for tonight on you."

"I figured, yeah," said Asura gloomily, leaning against the wall.

He could sleep for a  _week_. He was aching all over, clone or not, and if he had to try one more flash step thing, he was going to literally die. And he was going to transmit the death to the boss, even if it was impossible.

"If today gets any worse, we're looking at an invasion. Or a giant monster with a freakish eye and ten tails, trying to kill everyone. Wouldn't be the first time."

"Yes, I can see how that would be bad," the Uchiha said. "But… you said Itachi is alive?"

"Yeah, he went to take Sasuke to the hospital. He's still there, I think. He's looking after all the kids."

"We need to fill him in before we do anything else. Although, maybe we should go clean up first? It won't be long before they start sending people after you, and we're both covered in blood. They won't need an Inuzuka to smell us. Anyone with a working nose will do."

"Yeah, actually… before that, there's one more thing."

"Yes?"

Asura grinned sheepishly and scratched his nose.

"Who are you?"

 

_......_

_Konoha hospital, a few minutes later_

......

 

Sasuke was finally sleeping. Itachi made a half-hearted effort to pry his brother's fingers off his sleeve, but gave up when Sasuke whimpered.

Shisui must be all right, he told himself. He was one of the strongest the clan had ever produced. Danzo had his tricks, but Shisui had his eyes…

There was a flash of light and Shisui and Asura appeared.

"Oh, I'm going to  _die_ ," wailed Asura. " _Why_  did I let you talk me into using that?"

"Shush! Kids!" hissed Shisui, who had the look of someone freshly out of a street fight. His left eye was swelling up and there was blood dribbling down the side of his mouth. "There were ANBU, and we couldn't be seen together. That wasn't my first choice either."

"Yeah, well, only one of us has been burning their own innards with chakra in the last half an hour…"

"Shisui, you made it!" said Itachi, cutting the argument in half. "What happened? You… are you hurt?"

"Danzo turned out trickier than I'd expected," Shisui said. He pressed his hand against his stomach and groaned. "He got around my Kotoamatsukami. I think I have a cracked rib. This guy showed up just in time to save my hide. Or, well, more like my eyes."

"Yeah, that's me. Showing up in the nick of time. Or too late," Asura said bitterly, leaned against the wall and slid down.

"But you are the only one who made the effort," said Itachi quietly. "You, who have few ties to this village, have been trying to protect us all these years. If it weren't for you, none of us… I can never thank you enough."

On his bed, Sasuke mumbled something indistinct and turned sides. Absently, Itachi reached out and ruffled his hair.

From his spot on the floor, Asura scratched at the back of his head, looking everywhere except at Itachi.

"I… I don't…"

"We should come up with a plan," said Shisui, gently steering the topic into the task at hand. "We don't have much time before Danzo makes his move. I'm surprised he even allowed us to go, considering the papers you stole from him are kind of really incriminating."

"Hah, I bet the jerk thinks he's outsmarted me," Asura said. "They were rigged with an explosive seal."

He pulled out a bunch of papers from the inside of his robes. On the surface, there was a faint glimmer of an active seal. Painted partly over it, however, was another seal that seemed to have disrupted the combustion process.

"Permanence seals," said Asura proudly. "The one seal I made that works reliably! I still wouldn't leave them out in the sun, though. Or near a mug of hot tea. Just, you know, sensible precautions. It's still an explosive seal."

"Then… this means we have an advantage," Itachi said, leaning closer to examine the overlapping seals, sharingan burning bright in the darkness. "These should be hidden in some safe location until we have a chance to use them. No doubt Danzo will have us followed, but we cannot leave them anywhere people might accidentally stumble upon them either…"

"It would be best to leave them with someone trustworthy," said Shisui. "But who can we rely on? The Uchiha did not have any real allies in this village."

There was a silence. Then, Asura sighed.

"I know a guy," he said.

 

_......_

_Hyuuga estate, ten minutes later_

......

 

"Hiashi-sama… Hiashi-sama!"

Hyuuga Hiashi woke up to his assistant whispering urgently through the shoji door. He sat up and grabbed his robe. If no one was shouting, this couldn't be too important… but still important enough to wake him up at all. That didn't leave many options.

"What happened?"

"I… I apologise, Hiashi-sama, but you said to let him in if he showed up and he said it was important and it wasn't a genjutsu, I looked…"

"Let in who?"

"Asura-san. He's, well, he's waiting in the guest lounge. With Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui…"

Hiashi considered, and sent the worried assistant to fetch ramen. Asura had always avoided asking for anything or accepting any help beyond some basic advice, as if afraid Hiashi would abandon him the moment he became inconvenient. What sort of disaster could have made him seek help?

Whatever it was, Hiashi wasn't going to face it with an empty stomach.

He slid open the door. Asura was kneeling on a pillow near the table. Next to him were, indeed, Itachi and Shisui, who managed to look even more out of place than Asura and his flaming red hair.

"Asura-kun. What brings you here, at this hour?"

"…Yeah. Right. Sorry," Asura asked, looking like he was hoping the earth would split open and swallow him. "Remember that favour you promised me years ago?"

 

_......_

_Hyuuga estate (still), five minutes later_

......

 

"…And I  _know_  you said you wouldn't risk your clan, but I don't know who else we can trust!"

Hiashi was reading the papers Asura had stolen from Danzo. He had been reading for a while, all throughout Asura's rambling explanation, and his face was looking scarier by the minute.

Proper scary, like Kakashi-sensei when a comrade got hurt.

Asura fidgeted. He wasn't comfortable with silence anyway, but this silence wasn't comfortable with  _anyone_. It was like a hole in the air, all silent and menacing. He felt the need to fill it with words.

"I know I'm asking a lot, but we need to get rid of him! And he didn't really have a lot of papers that weren't stupidly circular and said nothing useful, so these are all we've got. But I don't want him to come after you either, so if you think –"

"I will keep these documents," Hiashi said. "You were right to come to me."

"But he knows we've been hanging out for years. I mean, everyone knows."

"I am not an easy target," said Hiashi. "Rest assured, I am fully capable of dealing with him. Leave this to me."

"R-right. Thanks, Hiashi-san."

"What will you do from now on?" Hiashi asked gently, tucking the papers into his robe. "You will likely be unable to show your face in public after this."

"Yeah. Guess I'll have to leave the village," Asura said. "Which… probably means I can't eat ramen with you again."

"One last time, then," Hiashi said, waving in the assistant who was struggling not to drop any of the four containers of take-out ramen. "Itachi-kun, Shisui-kun, you are quite welcome to stay, but I suspect you have other things to do…?"

He left the end of the sentence hanging in the air, a polite dismissal. Itachi and Shisui were glad to take the cue.

"Thank you for everything, Hiashi-san," said Itachi. "Asura-san... Will you be all right with this?"

"Don't worry," Asura said. "I'm good at being hated for things I didn't do."

 

_......_

_Konoha hospital, concurrent time_

......

 

Naruto was trying to sleep in the bed next to Sasuke. Technically he wasn't supposed to be in the hospital because he wasn't hurt. Or that was what the staff had argued, at least, but Itachi had bullied them into letting him stay anyway.

He had also tucked Naruto in and ruffled his hair and thanked him for being there for Sasuke. It was kind of strange to be treated like a kid again. Which was more real, Naruto or Asura? Neither shape really fit anymore.

Sasuke was whimpering in his sleep. Naruto turned to his side, blanket wrapping around him like he was a giant caterpillar. He was exhausted, but sleep eluded him.

He didn't think he'd ever failed this badly. Sasuke's entire family… and it was Danzo's fault, of course, but it was also Naruto's fault because he was the only one who had seen it coming. Half-blind and fumbling, maybe, but…

_Surely_ , he could have done better than ending people's lives because he was in a  _hurry_. Because he had screwed up and most of the Uchiha were already dead and he had been so desperate to save someone.  _Anyone_.

It was Danzo who had twisted and shaped his people into what they were. They didn't have to _stay_  that way. Sai had changed. They could have, too, if Naruto hadn't killed them. Killed because they were in his way.  _Coward_ , whispered an imaginary Ino in his mind.

Naruto closed his eyes and breathed in deep.

He opened his eyes to a hot, humid sewer. He waded deeper, tracing a familiar path.

 

_......_

_Naruto's subconscious, flow of time not applicable_

......

 

"So, you made a bad call," said Kurama. "Or maybe you didn't. Maybe you could have saved everyone, if you did something else. Maybe  _all_  of them would have died instead. But  _this_  is what happened and  _this_  is what is real. It's useless to think about' _might_  have'."

"But… I… how can I talk about changing the world, when…"

"Oh, is that how it is?" Kurama snapped. "You screwed up and lost your sparkling pure high moral ground and got pulled down to where us filthy murderers stand?"

Naruto flinched. "I didn't mean…"

"But you thought it," Kurama said sourly. "Then again, some part of me still looks at you and thinks 'damn idiot hairless monkey, can't do anything without me', so I suppose I'll let that slide. Listen, brat. I've seen things like this happen over and over. Everything you build, the world will tear down. Sometimes there are no good options. You had to choose one of them anyway, and you did. Now you have to own up to it."

"So… I have to just  _accept_  that I got most Sasuke's family killed because I was  _careless_? That I'm a  _murderer_  because I made a hasty choice?"

"It is the price you paid," Kurama said, almost gently. "Now you can understand the feelings of hundreds of generations of ninja."

Naruto was silent for a while. Eventually, he spoke.

"The world will tear everything down, huh? Then I'm just going to have to get up and start building again. As many times as it takes."

"That's better, brat."

 

_......_

_Hyuuga estate, concurrent time_

_......_

 

"What do you intend to do after tonight?"

"I'm not sure. It's not like anyone can actually catch me. I guess I'll go run some errands I've been meaning to do. I haven't framed Orochimaru of any crime in  _months_."

Hiashi raised an eyebrow. "I see. In that case, might I ask you for a favour?"

"Yeah, of course!"

"After tonight, Konoha's reputation will be certain to suffer. Allegedly losing a clan to an attack by an outsider… We may lose missions and income. Other villages may think that we are weakened and attempt to take advantage. This is the sort of thing that breeds war. Danzo will certainly have thought of measures to counter this, but I refuse to rely on him."

"I… yeah. That's… bad. What do I need to do?"

Hiashi smirked. "What you do best. Keep the other villages busy. Irritate them. Of course, I do realise that I am likely making an unreasonable request. You have already done more than enough for us…"

"No, I'll do it. I mean, my reputation is pretty much in ruins anyway, so might as well. Although I probably shouldn't go anywhere near Suna… I'm not sure Kazekage has forgiven me yet."

"Do I want to know?"

"I wanted to show him he was wrong about his son! It's not my fault third of the village got buried in sand and they had to dig everyone out. I mean, I guess technically it was a little bit my fault, but…"

"…That was  _you_?"

" _But_  I totally proved my point, so he's blowing it all out of proportion. Stupid cranky old men, can't accept being wrong…"

There was a knock by the door. "Hiashi-sama? There's a message for you. It's from the Hokage tower…"

"Ah. It seems the rest of the village has finally caught on."

"I… guess I should leave, huh?" Asura said, scratching at the back of his head. "You got work to do and all…"

He looked very young. Hiashi laid a hand on his shoulder. "Take care of yourself," he said. "The truth will be brought to the light yet."

"I… yeah. Thanks for… everything," Asura said and fidgeted.

"I will miss our lunchtimes. Will you take the rest of the ramen to go?"

"Yeah. I'd hate for good noodles to go all soggy."

Asura vanished into the night. Hiashi went back into his office and slid the door closed.

(They would not meet again for years.)

 

_......_

_Streets of Konoha, concurrent time_

......

 

Itachi and Shisui walked in silence, heading towards the hospital without any particular hurry. There was no more adrenaline left, no more urgency.

They were too exhausted to even mourn yet. The events of the night felt like a distant dream.

"We're the eldest now," said Shisui suddenly. "Responsible for the entire next generation. And the one after that, probably. Hell, I bet we're stuck with a bunch of brats until we die of old age."

Itachi managed to smile a little. "We will just have to manage. There are worse fates than parenthood."

"But what if I drop one of the kids and their neck snaps and the head falls off?"

"That is a strangely specific fear…"

Tomorrow, reality would be back, Itachi thought. He would have to accept that his parents were gone and that Danzo was still out there and that any number of gold diggers would try to get their share of the spoils…

But right now, tomorrow was a distant land. Some other Itachi would have to live in it. And Shisui was alive and not maimed and…

"…Shisui, why are you eating the ramen  _now_?"

"I don't want the noodles to go all soggy."

Tomorrow could wait forever, Itachi thought.

(Five minutes later, he was approached by a messenger from the Hokage.)

 

_......_

_The temporary lodgings of the Uchiha clan, four days after the incident_

......

 

Sasuke was sitting on the windowsill, watching as the sun set behind the village and waiting for his brother to return.

He hadn't seen his brother since that night. Itachi had been forced to run from one meeting to another, talking to people about where they were going to live and arranging the cremation of everyone and dealing with the investigation. He always left before Sasuke woke and returned after he had already fallen asleep next to the door, waiting for his brother.

Sasuke always woke up in the bed and there were notes left in the kitchen, so he knew Itachi must come home eventually, but… he wanted to  _see_  Itachi. There was no one else anymore.

Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes again. He wiped them away furiously.

There was a knock on the door, and for a brief moment joy bubbled up inside Sasuke. Then he realised Itachi wouldn't need to knock.

He went to open the door anyway. It was Naruto. He looked strange, shuffling nervously like he wasn't sure if Sasuke wanted to see him.

Sasuke wasn't sure either, but Naruto had been  _there_  and didn't look patronising or like he pitied Sasuke, so he let him in.

"There's something I have to tell you," Naruto said. "I wanted to say it before, but couldn't come up with the words. But I can't keep coming up with excuses anymore. 'Cause no one… no one ever wants to tell anything to us kids. People think we must be protected or that we can't handle the truth, or they want things from us. So I will tell you  _everything_ , even if it means you'll hate me."

"Does it have anything to do with… that night?"

"I… Yeah. A lot."

Sasuke stared. "Okay. Then… tell me your 'everything'."

"Right now?"

"No one has told me anything about  _anything_. I want to know."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A miracle happened, I updated. Any mistakes or weirdness you may spot are entirely my fault, because I started to lose motivation by the end of the chapter and forced myself to finish. Results can get a bit wonky when I do that.
> 
> Most of the events of this chapter happened pretty much within half an hour or so. The damage control from the village proper was pretty chaotic to start with, so they took a while to get to the point of sending messages. Poor Itachi hadn't given that any sort of consideration. To me, he always seemed like a person who was good at outsmarting himself. Just look at what happened with Sasuke in canon.
> 
> Danzo probably planned to dump the blame on Asura from the start. It just didn't work out like he'd wanted. The papers Asura stole aren't precisely pointing him as the true culprit as such… but no ninja could fail to make the connection either. He wouldn't lose his position as the village spider, probably, but he'd never have even the most remote shot at getting the hat either. Public trust is a different political animal than plausible deniability.
> 
> Additionally, guess who forgot all about Gaara? That would be me. But Naruto wouldn't have, so I guess I'm going to have to write a flashback omake for the next chapter, or something. Whenever that comes out. Hopefully within the next year at least…


End file.
